Little Angel of Forks
by jmolly
Summary: Angela's life changes forever after a chance meeting with E & B in 2009. There's nothing like having a surrogate big brother who's a vampire, and thinks you're his Little Angel.
1. Chapter 1: Broken

**The Little Angel of Forks**

**All belongs to Stephenie Meyer, including Midnight Sun. I'm just playing with her people, and I'll put them back afterwards where I found them:) No copyright infringement intended.**

**Chapter 1: Saturday, August 1, 2009**

I'm hollow. Hell is not burning, Hell is a _void_, where you can't breathe, can't touch, can't cry out. Empty, frozen and solitary, walking amidst people who don't see you and cannot do anything to help.

Hell is candles snuffed out on your birthday cake.

It was meant to be a joyous day, my 21st birthday, my age of majority. He had rendered it null and void. He had crushed me. I couldn't even hate him for it, because I understood his reasons.

We had been together since we were 17, inseparable in high school and college, and everyone we knew said how good we were together. How it was only a matter of time until he proposed. I had trusted in them, and in him. I had trusted myself. I had trusted Providence.

It wasn't a whirlwind romance, not Romeo and Juliet. Not Bella and Edward. It was more subtle, more suited to our personalities. Kismet. I was more reserved than Bella. I didn't jump in with both feet. But it was, I thought, still a passionate relationship, and steady. We were loyal to each other. We understood each other. He was my best friend. At least that's what I thought. Before that night.

Ben had come to the party at my parents' house, along with about 70 of my mother's relatives and a few friends. He had asked to speak to me alone, and my heart had soared. This was _it,_ I thought, he was going to propose. I would proudly wear his ring, and before too much time had passed, I would be Mrs. Ben Cheney of Vancouver, Washington.

Except now, I knew it was never going to happen.

Ben had taken me aside. He had told me how wonderful I was, and how much he loved me. But then, something went wrong with the script. I could barely follow what he was saying. And what he said, was that he wasn't ready to get married, that he would have been happy to live with me, and share my bed, and do things together, but that I had made it plain to him that I had no interest in anything but marriage. And he was too young to get married. And I shouldn't spend my life waiting for him. And that he hoped I would find what I was looking for, and that he wasn't good enough for me. Then, he had kissed me on the forehead and walked out of my life without looking back.

He snuffed out my candles, and left the familiar room cloying with acrid smoke, dark and dreary. Meaningless. It had been necessary to put on a good show, to pretend for the guests so that they could enjoy themselves. I imagine my smiles, as I played hostess, were nothing but grimaces. I wondered if my face looked the way Bella's had when Edward had left her in senior year. She had once said that it was like having a massive hole through her chest, big enough to see whoever was walking behind her. That was how I felt now. Robbed. Drained of life.

Well, _Edward_ had _returned _to Bella. Apparently it had all been a terrible misunderstanding. Backward to my situation. Apparently, Edward had wanted to get married, and Bella had said no, thinking she was not old enough at 18 to marry. Only he had thought she didn't love him, and he had packed up and left. The resulting pain brought him back. And despite all the misery he'd given her, she had leaped into his arms when he returned, just as I would leap into Ben's, if he ever came back for me. Although that would be a stupid thing to do, because he just didn't love me the way Edward loved Bella.

Ben had left me on my birthday in April, and he had not come back, and I had not pursued him. I had come home to live with my parents for the summer. Two more years, and I would have my teaching degree, and be able to get away from this state, from the memories. I would go someplace warm, perhaps Arizona, as Bella had always spoken of it so glowingly, and get a job teaching PE at a high school, and move on.

Now it was August, and things were not much better. And the friend in whom I most wanted to confide was no longer around. Bella and Edward had gone to Dartmouth after high school. They had kept in touch via telephone and e-mail, but I had not seen them since their wedding.

My mother said that was normal. That often the people dearest to you moved on emotionally when they got married. They opened a new chapter in their lives and didn't see old friends anymore. There had been a gradual distancing, so subtle that I didn't even notice it at first. Mother said that it happened even if the friend _was_ close enough to be in the wedding party, and that Bella would probably miss me in a couple of years, and call to re-establish the friendship. That didn't assuage my present loneliness.

I hadn't even seen a picture of them in two years. Bella disliked having her photo taken, and she would not use a webcam to hold conversations. She said she didn't like the thought of people seeing her in old sweats, if they called unexpectedly. I didn't understand her aversion to it. She had never worried about looking fashionable. I suppose that would change, living with the Cullens. They were all supermodel gorgeous.

I had heard from Jessica that Bella and Edward had left Forks. She also told me that Charlie had remarried and that he had recently bought a new house, one without old ghosts, with his new wife. They were living out at La Push now. I think the wife's name was Sue. Anyway, Charlie had two step-kids now, nearly grown ones, and a little son.

I wondered how Bella got along with them. Doubtless, they would love her.

I sighed. If only I could talk to Bella, perhaps it would be easier to move on. She had lived with a hole through her for months, but of course Edward had come back and patched it up, so maybe she couldn't tell me how to cope after all. Nevertheless, it was Bella that I missed, and Bella that I wanted, and I had no idea how to reach her. Since she moved away, I received my e-mails back, marked 'undeliverable' by the Postmaster. I had lost her, and it hurt. I had never imagined that she would not be my friend forever.

I mulled it over as I wandered aimlessly down the boardwalk in Port Angeles. I had come here on my own, hoping for a distraction in a town I had always liked. Unfortunately, there were too many reminders of the people I had lost. Ben, Bella and Edward and I had spent so much time together here, and now they were all gone. I was so lonely, I could have wept. My eyes pricked in the wind. Why had it all gone wrong? I walked down to the harbor. There was a little park there, and I decided to sit and watch the boats.

I picked a bench and sat. It was a gorgeous, hot day, scion blue sky devoid of clouds for once, and the gulls were wheeling. Families were taking advantage of the sunny day. I sat and watched the people having fun. Then there was me, sitting on the sidelines, missing out on everything.

For some reason, a certain child caught my attention. She was about eight or nine, and she was throwing a football back and forth with a middle-aged man. She was so striking that I did not even notice what the man looked like. I was sure I had never met the child, and yet she seemed so familiar somehow. She was the most beautiful child I had ever seen. I couldn't help staring.

She was lithe yet small, with long naturally curly bronze hair. She skipped around with the ball like a ballet dancer, and occasionally she would laugh with a peal like a bell. Her skin was so pale it was luminescent. Her eyes were chocolate brown, very large and expressive like a deer's. She reminded me of someone. Suddenly, she flew at the man with her, and leaped up into his arms. He nearly fumbled her as he caught her, then laughed and warned her not to be quite so rough on an old grandpa. It was then that I recognized the man. It was Bella's dad, Charlie Swan.

Disbelievingly, I rose to my feet and walked unsteadily over to the child and Chief Swan. Had he just called her his granddaughter? She couldn't be. She was too old. Oh, perhaps she was a step-granddaughter. I _had_ to ask him.

It was Providence. Hadn't I just been saying I needed Bella, that I wanted to talk to her? And here was her father. I could ask how to contact her. My heart lifted a little.

"Hello, Chief Swan?" I touched his arm and he turned his attention away from the little girl to look at me. He did a double-take.

"Well, I'll be. Angela Weber, isn't it? How are you? Long time, no see!" He grinned at me delightedly.

"I'm alright, thank you sir. And yourself?"

"Never better, young lady. Never better. This is my granddaughter, Renesmee."

"Oh, I heard you had remarried. Congratulations! Is Renesmee one of your wife's kids' kids?"

Chief Swan looked a little bit taken aback. Then he smiled at me again. "Oh, no. Nessie is Bella and Edward's."

I gawped at him. "But she's too old. And Bella never mentioned her to me." I felt a little betrayed, and a little frantic. Why would Bella keep something like this from me? Was she leading some kind of secret life?

The beautiful child looked disdainfully at me. I realized with a shock that she looked very like Edward, and she had brown eyes like Bella. A sense of unease gripped me. I felt a little shiver down the back of my neck.

"Who is this, Grandpa?" Nessie demanded.

"Nessie, this is a very dear friend of your mother's, Miss Angela Weber. She was a bridesmaid at your parents' wedding."

The Cupid's bow mouth became an O. "Angela? Mommy's Angela?"

"Yes," I smiled at her warmly. She beamed.

I tried to do the mental math. Tried and failed to fit eight or nine years into three. At the very least, the girl had to be seven.

"How can this be possible, sir? How can Bella and Edward have a child this old?"

Charlie Swan grimaced a little, and smiled at the little girl, who smiled back like a conspirator. "Nessie, why don't you run around and play while I talk to Angela. Don't go too far, I don't want to explain to Edward and Jake if anything happens to you. There's a good girl."

Jake? What did Jacob Black have to do with it. My eyes met Bella's father's, demanding answers.

"Nessie may look very like Bella and Edward, but she is not theirs by birth. She is his niece. When her parents died in a car accident, the authorities traced Edward and he became her guardian. Nessie has been with them for three years now. Everyone loves her to bits."

My eyebrows were on my forehead. Bella had never said anything. "Why, sir, why didn't Bella _tell_ me. I thought we were best friends." I felt teary all of a sudden.

"Uh, it took a lot of effort to process the adoption. The authorities thought Bella and Edward were too young to raise her properly. Dr Cullen had to convince them that the kids would have plenty of help from the family. Perhaps Bella didn't say anything because she was afraid the adoption would fall through." It didn't make any sense, and a flush was creeping up Charlie's neck. A flush just like Bella used to have whenever she attempted to lie. Charlie Swan was making excuses. I wondered what the truth was.

"I'm really surprised Bella didn't share this with me. I thought we were closer than that," I fretted.

"Well, Bella was getting over a nasty illness she picked up in South America. Perhaps she was too ill to call." Charlie's eyes shifted around uncomfortably. He was no better at lying than Bella. It still made no sense. Another punch to my gut.

Didn't Bella and Edward feel I was a worthwhile friend either? First Ben, now Bella. Maybe I wasn't a good friend.

"I'd really like to talk to Bella. I hope I haven't offended her in some way. Could you tell me how to reach her?"

"Well, that's easy," the chief smiled at me, "Bella and Edward are visiting. That's why I've got Ness. They're staying at the Cullen house for a couple of weeks. I'm sure they'd love to hear from you. Bella still speaks of you, often. I must warn you that her appearance has changed somewhat since her illness, but she is quite well, now."

I smiled, happy for the first time in months. I would get my best friend back somehow. I would settle any problems, and I would be happy again. I thanked the chief and hurried to get my car. I planned to drive straight to the Cullens' and surprise everyone.


	2. Chapter 2: Reunion

**Chapter 2: Reunion**

**I'm only borrowing Stephenie's world. Please no sue.**

**Saturday, August 1, 2009**

**Angela's pov**

I parked my Neon in front of the big white house, and approached the door tentatively. I prayed that I would be well-received. I had barely knocked when the door flew open, and there stood the magnificent Edward, framed in the doorway. He regarded me in shock, then a delighted smile dawned upon his face.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't Angela Weber, as I live and breathe! How _wonderful _to see you! Bella? Come to the door! You'll never guess who's here!" While Edward was saying all this, he gripped both my hands in his own, and kissed me on the cheek, and gave me a squeeze around the middle. I knew I was grinning like an idiot, and the tears were threatening to flow. Then Bella was there, squashing the heck out of me, and doing a little dance, jumping up and down. She backed up to have a look at me, grinning _her _face off.

That's when I got a good look at her. I looked, and I couldn't believe my eyes. Bella was different. Her pale skin and glossy hair were flawless, and her eyes... her eyes were disconcerting. They were not brown, they were amber, like Edward's. I quickly masked my shock. What on earth had happened to her? She looked just like the Cullens.

Edward chuckled, "Well, are you going to stand on the stoop all day, or are you going to come in and have a nice chinwag with us? We're not going to eat you!"

I ducked my head and smiled a little, and let the pair of them pull me inside. Edward took my sweater, and Bella pulled me into the Cullen's living room and steered me onto a couch. She and Edward sat opposite me. She leaned into him and tucked her feet up under her on the seat. I drank in the sight of them. I was so relieved to be warmly welcomed.

"You two haven't aged a day," I marvelled. They looked well and happy, and relaxed. They were so fortunate. I couldn't believe how good Bella looked, and how graceful. Marriage had obviously done her good.

"It's so lovely to see you Ang, I have missed you so much," Bella enthused.

"Me, too!" I said a little thickly.

"It's so good of you to come. How are you doing? And how is Ben? I would have thought to see a ring on that finger by now." Edward looked at me expectantly, teasing a little.

"Oh," I gulped, "I'm not too bad, I guess, but Ben and I, we... aren't together anymore." I could not meet their eyes, they were both looking at me in shock, and then they exchanged a glance.

"What do you mean!" Edward demanded, "Ben was always crazy about you, and you were crazy about _him_, too."

"Apparently not," I gulped again, "Ben left me on my birthday in April. I told him I was interested in marriage, and he chose the party to escape me." I tried to joke, and still ended up sounding shaky.

"Oh, Ang, how awful. I'm so sorry." Bella reached forward and patted my hand. I looked up at her and the tears spilled over.

"It's not getting any easier. I miss him and I've missed you. I wanted to talk to you, and it was like God heard me, because while I was at the Port, I ran into Charlie and Renesmee, and he told me you were here."

Bella and Edward both looked a little guilty. "Well, I'm glad you came. I will always be here if you need me. I'm sorry I didn't keep up. I've missed you too." Bella smiled at me consolingly. I glanced at Edward. Then I shrank back a little, shocked.

Edward was leaning toward me a little, glaring blackly. "Do you mean to tell me that _Ben Cheney_ dumped you on your 21st birthday?" I nodded, and the tears spilled over again. Edwards eyes flickered down angrily, and then they met mine again. "Where is he?"

"Mike mentioned that he is back in the residence he lives in at Washington State," I said. Edward stood up so fast that I didn't see him move. I sat back a bit, surprised. Bella and I watched as Edward moved angrily over to a side table, where he retrieved a set of car keys from the drawer.

"Where are you going in my car, Mr. Cullen?" Bella asked.

"I'm going to talk to that sappy date," he snarled, "And if he doesn't see sense about throwing away this little angel, I am going to break his face."

"Don't kill him, love!" Bella called after her husband.

Edward turned around and smiled his crooked smile at her. "I'll do my best," he said, "But you've got to admit it's tempting." With that, Edward blew a kiss to his wife and winked at her and saluted me. It reminded me of Cary Grant, the way he moved. I smiled a little. A couple of seconds later, I saw a black Ferrari tear down the drive at top speed, tires squealing. I stared out the wall of glass curiously.

"Okay, Ang. 'Fess up. I want to know everything."

"Well, so do I. Especially why you didn't tell me about Renesmee."

Bella looked at me calculatingly. "Yes, alright. But you first. What happened between you and Ben?"

"It was a misunderstanding. It's a long story." I cringed a little. Bella regarded me patiently.

"I've got all the time in the world," she smiled.


	3. Chapter 3: Getting the Story

**Chapter 3: Getting the Story**

**Caution: Midnight Sun spoilers.**

**Midnight Sun and the rest of the Twilight Universe belong to Stephenie Meyer. No sue please.**

**Saturday, August 1, 2009**

**Edward's pov**

I took the US 101 almost as far as Olympia, then merged onto the Interstate 5 South. It was a pretty drive, close to the coast, and I saw none of it. I was too busy fuming. When you can read minds, it makes it easy to see who belongs together and who doesn't, and it was rare for me to find really good souls, never mind souls that were compatible. Since humans didn't bond the way we did, I liked to see things work out when everything about two people added up. And Angela and Ben added up beautifully.

I couldn't help feeling rather proprietary about them, as I had connived with Emmett to pair them up.

It had worked like a charm. Ben went all defensive on me. He asked her to the junior prom, and they had been together ever since.

It had been one of my few beneficial moments of playing God. I secretly watched their relationship progress with satisfaction. And now Ben had screwed up the grand plan. I very much wanted to know why.

According to the GPS, it was supposed to take me four hours to get to Vancouver, just outside Portland. I opened up Bella's Ferrari, and made it in less than two. I parked in the Blue Lot meant for visitors, at the north end of the campus. A bunch of guys goggled at the Ferrari, and I had to spend a couple of minutes telling them about it and telling them they could look, but not touch. They thought I was some rich kid with an indulgent father who was probably a surgeon. They thought I looked a little dangerous and they'd best be careful around my car. Well, they were _mostly _right.

Ang had once told Bella that Ben was in the residence closest to the campus. It was a very short walk from the parking area. I slipped through the door as another student entered, without anyone being the wiser.

All I could smell was sweat, coffee, sex and Kraft dinner. It was noisy, both internally as I was bombarded with youthful thoughts, and externally, from conversation and people's stereos. Thank God Bella and I would never have to live in a place like this. It would drive me mad. I climbed to the appropriate floor and followed the numbers to Ben's room. At least he had a single. No roommate to worry about.

I knocked on the door and heard Ben say that he was coming. A couple of moments later, he opened it, wearing a crumpled t-shirt and boxers. Nap time was over.

"Hello, Ben," I growled as I pushed him into his room and sat him a little forcefully on the bed, "Long time, no see. Would you like to explain to me what the hell you did to Angela?"

Ben cringed away from me. _Oh God, he is going to hit me. I guess I deserve it. I was an ass._ Ben didn't know that his thoughts bought him a little time. I would wait to hear more before wiping the floor with him. I pulled up his little desk chair and sat, arms folded. I realized he really _was _quite vertically challenged. My knees were bent halfway up to my chest.

_I never should have broken up with her. Nobody can compare, and finding girls who are easy to lay just doesn't make up for not having her around. I wonder what is wrong?_

"Angela showed up at my parents' house today, looking for Bella. She is quite the shadow of her former self, and she broke down when I asked after you. She said you dumped her right in the middle of her birthday party. That was really chivalrous, chum. I know how many relatives she has, and I know how devastated she must have been. She would have had to put on a brave face for her family for the _rest _of the night. How could you _do _it to her, especially in such an unfeeling manner? I would have expected better of you." I felt Ben's shame color his thoughts. He got another minute's reprieve from me. One nasty thought and I would flay his ass.

Ben hesitated. "I'm waiting," I said acerbically.

Ben raised his eyes, embarrassed. "She was always talking about getting married. It was too much responsibility, too much pressure. I just wanted to take things lightly, have some fun while we were still young. And Angela was sweet, and kind, and we had a lot in common, but she wasn't much fun. Always serious, and never impulsive."

"What you are trying to tell me is that she wouldn't have sex with you."

Ben reached up and smoothed back his longish hair, blushing a little. "Well, yeah. We've been together like, four years, and she wouldn't commit. She's frigid."

I sat back in the chair and frowned. "That's a pug-ugly thing to say. Bella has told me enough about Angela's perception of you that I know that is untrue. Perhaps she was worried about the degree of your commitment to her. Obviously, she was right to be. You pulled an ultimatum and she didn't cave. She's a respectable girl. You were stupid to throw her away."

"Edward, I shouldn't have to tell you that I guy has needs." Ben folded his arms defensively. No, he certainly did not need to tell me that. Trouble is, I had gone 80 years without satisfying my urges, and four years didn't seem like that much of a wait to me. "You would never have put up with it from Bella. Everybody who went to Niagara with you knew that you two were ... involved."

I let my breath out impatiently. "Ben, Bella and I did not consummate our relationship until after we were married, and we really did not do anything heavier than kissing until a month before the wedding. Bella knew we were getting married, and that I would never leave her. Besides, it was _my _morals that kept us in check, not Bella's. _ I _insisted on being chaste. She'd have given herself to me if I had asked her. But we're talking about Ang, not Bella. Bella is a Christian, but she's not very religious. I'm much more religious than she is.

"Angela, on the other hand, is a devout Lutheran, and the Bible has a lot to say about extramarital sex. I'll grant you that it's frustrating, but Angela is a pretty good prize to wait for, Ben. She is smart, kind, selfless, hard-working and attractive, and she has a great sense of humor. If Bella had not barged into my life like a wrecking ball and knocked my pretentious ass to pieces, I might have asked Ang out myself."

Ben exhibited a little surprise, but he was determined to win his case. "But you agreed to go part way with Bella, even though you had some moral objections. I tried to get Ang to touch me once, and she was repulsed. Wouldn't even look at me for the rest of the night."

"How do_ you _know she was repulsed? How do you_ know_ she wasn't afraid of the intensity of her reaction, and afraid to get carried away? Alternatively, _maybe _you didn't make her feel safe enough in the relationship to make herself vulnerable to you. Unless you read minds, or you ask her what she was thinking, you don't know." Ben looked down, considering the idea.

"You really hurt her Ben, and I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were a better man. If you ever get your head together, maybe Angela will take you back. I don't know. Not everybody is as forgiving as Bella, but Angela seems like a pretty good girl to me."

"It's too late Edward. I really messed up. I'm sorry for how badly I treated Ang, and I would love to undo it, but she will never forgive me. I've been making up for lost time by dating cheap, worthless girls. Angela is too good for me. I don't deserve her."

"Maybe you don't, Ben, but _you_ are the one she wants. When I left Bella, she dated another guy and I was really jealous. But I was the one who had made her a free agent. I was lucky. She took me back, and now I'm close friends with him. He's a nice guy.

"Maybe you should grow up, and start living up to Angela's expectations of you. Start trying to deserve her. And at the very least, you should apologize to her for the way you delivered your breakup speech. She is still suffering. But Ben, if you do not crawl back to her on your hands and knees, then _I am telling you _that you are the biggest idiot on the planet.

"_Remember_ how I broke up with Bella? _Remember_ what I put her through? Trust me, it was _worth_ the humiliation to get her back. And don't diss marriage. It's not a prison, it's very liberating. I have never been so happy in my entire life." I got up and smacked Ben on the shoulder, and headed for the door.

"Ang is at my house right now, hurting, and Bella is trying to help her. You are welcome to come with me now, if you want to talk to her. You would be most welcome." I felt the conflict in his mind, but he shook his head and stared at his folded hands, elbows on knees. It was a hopeless posture. I was disgusted.

"Well, I guess you can hang with some floozy in a bar tonight. That will solve all your troubles. Good luck, my friend. You are going to need it." I walked out, leaving the door open.

I trudged slowly back to the Ferrari, hoping to hear Ben yell for me to wait up for him. There was nothing. He wasn't coming. Gormless piece of work. I shook my head. People sure did ruin their lives for the sake of pride.

I sighed and got in the car. Then I drove back to Forks, much more slowly than I had come, trying to fathom how I was going to help Bella pick up Angela's pieces.


	4. Chapter 4: Picking Up the Pieces

**Chapter 4: Picking Up the Pieces**

"**Never Think" belongs to Rob Pattinson and selective owners. Other music titles belong to their rightful owners. Everything from the Twilight universe, incl. Midnight Sun, belongs to Stephenie and/or Summit. Please no sue.**

**Saturday, August 1, 2009**

**Bella's pov**

The sight of Angela, when she came in the house, had unnerved me. She reminded me of _me_, during my zombie period. Gradually, as she spilled the beans to me, she unwound, and then she started to ask questions about my life, about Renesmee.

Angela and I talked about how I liked parenthood for an hour. I got out Renesmee's baby album, the one created for public consumption, painstakingly photo-shopped by Esme and Alice to show parents who resembled us, but were not us. Renesmee had her own private copies of the originals, with Edward and me instead of the fake parents.

apologized for not letting Angela in on the news. I said there was another, more distant relative who had fought us for custody, and that by the time we had gone through a court custody battle, all I wanted to do was go home with the 3 year old and forget about the process. And I was ill at the time.

Then the subject turned to the one I feared, the one I'd never personally had to make up answers for before. Angela was too perceptive. It was one of my first big tests, promoting our fictional account of my 'illness'. It made me uncomfortable to lie to someone so trusting.

"Bella, I know your dad told me that you got a really bad bug in South America, but I'm afraid that's hard to believe. Frankly, you look just like Edward now, and I am guessing that you caught it from him. Why do you have to lie about it?"

I looked down at the floor, panicking. Then I decided the best thing to do would be to pull a Carlisle and combine some truthful elements of the story with some creative fiction. I squared my shoulders and looked into the eyes of my best human friend.

"How did you know?"

"Come on, Bella. The Cullens all look alike. Gorgeous, but unhealthy, if you know what I mean."

"Well, it's true that Carlisle adopted the three kids because they all had the same condition that he does. And you're right, I did get it from Edward. But we don't want that to get around, okay? People tend to panic, and think they are in danger of catching it, and it's not true. It can only be contracted through intercourse."

"You knew."

"Yes, I knew from the first time we went out, the day we came across each other in Port Angeles and I stood you and Jess up for dinner. He didn't want any false pretences. He was already head over heels for me, and he just couldn't stay away, but you know Edward. He wasn't going to lie."

"But he always said he was not sexually active until he met you. So how did he catch it?"

"We're assuming his mother had it, and that she was one of the lucky few who does not go sterile, and that she passed the virus to him and his brother when they were born." Angela looked very sorry and shocked.

"Carlisle adopted Alice, Em and Edward because they all have the condition. And the spouses caught it, too. There's an extra incentive to be faithful and stay married. Nobody wants to do this to anybody else.

"The virus does a lot of damage, but once it has run its course, the body doesn't get any worse. There is damage to the circulatory system, the skin, the digestive system, and the eyes, and most people become sterile. All of the Cullens are sterile, including me. Also, we can only eat a very limited variety of foods. We are unable to tolerate just about everything.

"The illness is a sore point with the family, even though getting Edward was more than enough compensation for me, for changing. But yes, they are very secretive about it. They are afraid that people would shun them. Look at Carlisle, he would be finished at the hospital, and as you can see none of the locals are afflicted. Only a few hundred people on the planet have this, and consequently there's not much incentive to cure it."

"But Bella, you have given up so much to be with Edward." Ang shook her head, overwhelmed.

"Why do you suppose he left me that time? I would do the same thing again in a heartbeat, Ang. I was never the kind of person who is addicted to food, in fact I probably eat more meals, more often now than I used to. And as for kids, we can adopt if we want any more. We have Renesmee.

"I love Edward, and he loves me. I think he loves me even more _now _than he did before I changed, and the upside is, he has accepted himself. We're both content and our life together is fulfilling. I got everything I wanted in one day." I turned my head as I heard my Ferrari pull into the garage.

"Edward's home," I said happily.

"_Already_? From Vancouver?"

"Oh, yeah. I _told_ you he drives like a maniac, didn't I?" Just then, my other half came in. He marched over and deposited the keys in the drawer, then came over to sit with me, giving me a kiss.

"How's Ben? Still alive?" I asked.

"Barely. It's all I could do not to obliterate him for being such a skunk. Oh, don't look so worried, Ang. I'm just joshing. I didn't hit him. When he opened up to me, I decided to grant him a reprieve."

"So what's the excuse?" Bella was suddenly serious.

"No excuse, just a whole lot of faulty logic. The boy is hurting bad, but he's afraid to commit. I gave him a couple of things to think about, but he needs a little time to let them rattle around in his head. He hasn't exactly been behaving himself, either, but he wants you back. Whether you take him will be up to you. I would give him a couple of days, tops, to show up and beg. He's cracking."

"Thanks for talking to him, Edward. It means so much to me. You guys are the best." Angela blinked back tears. Edward leaned forward to take both her hands in his own.

"Friend, I have a confession to make. When Bella first came to Forks, she had trouble fitting in. Even before I first spoke to her, I'd be constantly paying attention to how she was treated. You were always kind to Bella. I started to wish that I could do something to thank you, and you never seemed to want anything material. So, I watched. And I saw you watch _him_. So I knew.

"He shared a class with me and Em, so I set him up to overhear me say I was going to ask you out, even though I was interested in Bella at the time. Ben took the bait and asked you to the prom."

"You never told me about this!" I laughed.

"No, I was scared to. But I have never regretted setting Ang up, since Ben turned out to be such a nice guy. But some guys fall to bits when they move out of their parents' houses, and that is what happened to Ben. Too much freedom, too little preparation. So, even though I am fond of him, I did not hesitate to tell him that he is an ass and he should come crawling back on his knees."

Angela took her hands back, and covered her face, and sobbed. I got up and put my arms around her, rocking her on the couch.

"Now, my dears, we were supposed to go to La Push for a bonfire tonight, and get our kid from Charlie. How 'bout we all go together, and have a nice evening, and then Ang can come back here and stay in my old room while we go home to the cottage? I'll be glad to sleep away from the main house, in our own digs, after being away so long. Would you like that, Ang? We don't have to go to La Push if you don't want to."

Angela nodded blearily, still sobbing into her hands. "Thank you, Edward. I knew I would feel better if I could just spend time with you two. Thanks for playing big brother."

"I'd say 'anytime', but the dumb ape had better _never_ do anything to hurt you again, or I _will _clean his clock."

We instilled Ang in Edward's old room, which was pretty empty now except for the wrought iron bed. Then I got Angela to wash her face and we got in the Volvo and drove to La Push.

By the time we arrived, there was already a good sized group around the fire pit. The wolf pack and their families, plus Charlie. Renesmee started to flit over, noticed Angela, and walked instead. Everyone greeted Angela warmly.

Jake told a couple of short, creepy stories and Renesmee said they were dumb, rolling her eyes. Charlie told her to behave herself and not to talk to adults that way.

Soon, the Cullen siblings showed up, and joined the circle, being sure to sit out of the wind where their scent would not bother the werewolves, not to mention avoiding coming into contact with any sparks. Not only had Jasper and Em brought their guitars, they brought one for Edward, too. He took it, and the three of them did a super-fast rendition of _The Devil went Down to Georgia. _Then, they played an old _Dueling Banjo_ song that I could remember hearing once on tv when I was very little. Some folk songs ensued, then Edward was asked to sing, as usual. He eyed me, and crooned,

_Just never think_

_Less in your heart_

_What's in our home_

_It's all I want_

_You'll learn to hate me_

_And still call me baby_

_Oh Lord_

_Just call me by my name_

_And save your soul_

_Save your soul_

_Before you're too far gone_

_Before nothing can be done_

_And shall I win_

_Shall I win_

_I ain't got no fight in me_

_Left for this whole damn world_

_I tell you hold off_

_You choose to hold on_

_It's the one thing that I've known_

_Once I put my coat on_

_And I know it's all wrong_

_She's standing outside holding me_

_She's saying oh please_

_I'm in love_

_I'm in love_

_Girl save your soul_

_Go on save your soul_

_Before you're too far gone_

_And before nothing can be done_

_Without me you got it all_

_So hold on (repeat 6X)_

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, and also the saddest, since this was the message he had tried to instill in me during the first three years of our courtship.

Everybody seemed to hold onto their loved ones just a little harder after that, and Ang looked forlorn. Edward looked up at her suddenly, appraising her mood.

"Well, everyone, I think it's time for me to get my baby girl home to bed. And Renesmee, too."

"Edward!" I protested. "Not in front of Charlie!"

"Oh, Daddy, I don't want to go yet. Can't we stay just a bit longer?" Spoiled brat whiny baby vampire-human hybrid.

"I could keep her here for a bit, and bring her home for you," Jake offered.

"Can you keep her for an hour?" Edward hinted meaningfully.

"Sure, sure. No big. We're good, right Ness?" Jake grinned and lifted Nessie onto his knee.

"Of course. Thank you Daddy. Thank you Jake."

"Ang, we can take you back to Carlisle's now, if you'd like." Edward locked his guitar in its case and kissed Nessie on top of her head.

Angela nodded and stood up. I kissed Nessie, Jake, Sue and Charlie, and we walked back to the Volvo. It looked like I had some couple time to look forward to this evening.


	5. Chapter 5: Staying Over at the Cullens'

**Chapter 5: Staying Over at the Cullens'**

**Saturday, August 1 to Sunday, August 2, 2009**

**Angela's pov**

The Cullens were just as nice as I remembered. When we reached the main house, Carlisle and Esme were home and they were so pleased that Edward and Bella had asked me to stay. Carlisle warned me that some of the family members were brats, and that Alice and Emmett probably wouldn't be able to resist making noise or pranking me to get some attention, and that I should just ignore them and they'd get over themselves.

I was surprised. I had forgotten how nice Edward's old room was. Of course, I had only glimpsed it once, under circumstances I would sooner forget. One whole wall was glass, and there was a big bed with iron roses all over it and a gold coverlet that matched the fabric on the walls and the rug on the floor. The wall opposite the glass one was floor-to-ceiling white shelving. It had obviously housed an elaborate stereo system at one point, as there were cutouts and speaker wires interspersed everywhere.

Alice brought me a short satin nightie and a white robe and fresh towels, and invited me to take a bath in the deep jet tub in the bathroom outside the bedroom door. She provided a new toothbrush and comb as well. Then she told me to please help myself to anything I wanted in the kitchen.

I luxuriated in the tub, then called my parents to tell them I'd be staying with Bella and I'd talk to them the next day. I told my mother that I had had a breakdown over Ben, and Edward had gone to tell him off. My mother was impressed that the Cullens were doing so much for me. She hoped that I would have a nice weekend and get a bit of rest.

I crawled into the cool bed, noticing the scented sheets and wondering what kind of detergent Esme bought. This was really nice, like going to a fancy hotel for the weekend. I hoped I'd be invited again someday. I fell asleep quickly in the comfortable bed.

In what felt like no time, however, there was a huge crash and a lot of noise from Emmett and Rosalie in the room down the hall from mine. Were they having a fight? Oh, no. That was not fighting, that was something else. I pulled the covers over my head and tried to ignore it. Suddenly, there came a _bump-bump-bump _from the room below mine.

"Emmett and Rose, cut it out or we are going to tell Esme!" yelled Jasper from below.

"Like you don't do it, too, Jasper! Don't interrupt! You're breaking my rhythm!" yelled Emmett from down the hall.

"Knock it off, Emmett! We have company. Let poor Angela sleep or I'll tell Bella on you!" Alice screeched.

"Okay, okay. I give. Don't tell Bella, please? I'll be good." Emmett and Rose became quiet. I wondered why telling Bella would intimidate Emmett. Maybe he just didn't want her to know he'd been a bad host to me.

The next morning was overcast. I stood looking at the view. It was neat, looking at the foggy patches lying between the trees and grassy hillocks. The fog crept around everything. Suddenly, I saw Edward and Bella run across the green space at an impossible speed with Nessie and a giant wolf. I went and sat on the bed. I had to be dreaming. I went back to the window. There was nobody outside. Weird.

I put on my robe and went down to the kitchen. The Cullens were lounging about in their robes, reading, watching the morning news, and tidying up after breakfast. Bella, Edward and Nessie were there, wearing matching white terry robes and slippers like mine. Looked like all the Cullens had matching robes, as a matter of fact. Each robe had a family crest on it. They looked like they were vacationing at a spa. And Jacob was sitting at the kitchen island, slurping down coffee. He also had a robe and slippers.

"_Holy_, Edward, are you taking in _another_ stray?" Emmett asked teasingly, "First Bella, then Jake, then Nessie, and now Angela. How many people are you planning to collect?" Edward put his feet up on the living room ottoman and Bella went and sat with him. Bella put her head on Edward's shoulder and he put his hand on her leg.

"It depends how many decent strays I can find, Emmett. And Bella was not _my_ stray. _ I _was _her_ stray. She collected me and I had no choice about it. Jake is pretty well housebroken now, as is Renesmee. I'm not sure whether I am collecting Angela yet. She might run screaming, knowing she might have to live next door to your bedroom. Besides, she has 14 year old brothers. Her mother might want her back to manage them." Emmett threw a cushion at Edward and he deflected it easily.

Nessie crawled up between her parents and sat on their laps. She held up an MP3 player and a screwdriver for their inspection.

"Uh-oh. What's this kiddo?" Edward said warily.

"I'm really sorry, but I think I busted it trying to get the batteries out. Can you help me, Daddy?"

"Hmm." Edward held up the player and looked at it. He tried the screwdriver. After some serious effort, something sounded like it cracked.

"I think it's a lost cause, sweetie. You burred the screws pretty badly. Don't forget, 'lefty loosie, righty tighty."

Emmett put down his paper. "What was that Edward? Loosie goosie, tighty-whities? Reminds me of a certain incident a month before your wedding."

"Emmett!" chorused Edward and Bella.

"Not in front of the _kinder_", admonished Renesmee. Everyone chuckled.

"Where's Carlisle this morning?" Edward enquired.

"Still upstairs with mother." Alice smirked. "He's taking a day off for once."

"About time, too. So, Ang, what would you like to do today? You won't make it to church."

Emmett and Jasper began singing _I'm Getting Married in the Morning _from_ My Fair Lady. _Edward and Bella looked a little irritated. "_Get me to the church, Get me to the church, so Get me to the church on time!" _

Jacob walked in with coffee, and Nessie crawled off Edward's knee and onto Jake's. It didn't seem to phase Edward or Bella in the least. Everyone was so relaxed and comfortable. The day I met Bella I had joked about the Cullens adopting me. That wasn't looking too bad at the moment.

"Can I put in an application to be adopted?"

Edward smirked. "I'll have to take it up with Carlisle. We'll take it under due consideration. But prepare yourself for bad news. Carlisle just finished getting us all married off. I don't know whether he's up to the stress of having another unwed young person around. Of course, that could change for you soon, if things go the way I think they will."

"I think Angela's chances are pretty good, actually," Alice chipped in.

"Excellent. Ang? Alice has excellent intuition. We never bet against her." Edward and Bella rubbed noses. Renesmee said 'ew'. I laughed a little, under my breath.

"So, nothing specific you want to do? We are _not_ spending all day sitting by the phone, pining for Ben."

"Did you say you have a cottage here? I'd love to see it," I suggested.

"Oh, sure, if you'd like."

"It was mouldering out in the forest, and Esme brought it back to life for us. She's quite the architect, you know. She's saved all sorts of heritage buildings all over the country. I _love_ my cottage. We'll take you over as soon as you're ready. Please go and have something to eat." Bella rolled her eyes at me and put on a funny voice, "No pining!"

"Oh, yeah, because you _so_ listened to _me _when I said that to _you_ four years ago."

"That was different. The whole family moved away. Edward says Ben is coming back, and he is never wrong about how men think. You just need to be patient."

"I was coming back,_ too_, Bella. I guess you 're telling Angela everything _she _should do, that_ you_ neglected to do yourself." Edward peeked up at Bella from under his lashes, teasing.

"Well, I might as well save her before she goes cliff diving."

"Point taken Madame Danger Magnet. Next subject_._ Angela, if you don't go feed yourself something right now, I am going to have Emmett carry you to the kitchen."

I stood up in a hurry. There was no way I was going to give Emmett any opportunities to touch me.

When I entered the kitchen, Esme was already there, cooking pancakes. How did she get downstairs? "Don't bother making anything dear," she said, "These are for you, Jake and my granddaughter. The rest of us have eaten already.

"Wow, thanks Esme. You didn't have to do that." I pulled a stool up to the kitchen island in front of her.

"I like to cook, sweetie, and I like to entertain. You are welcome to come back at any time." Esme fetched a dish from the cupboard and added food and handed it to me. Pancakes with fresh strawberries and chocolate syrup.

" Yum. Thank you."

Just then, Jacob came in, sniffing. "Do I smell pancakes Gram?" It sounded ridiculous, Jake calling her that. She couldn't be more than 35.

"You bet, kiddo." Jacob climbed carefully onto the stool next to mine. He was so tall when sitting on it that his knees were still bent with his feet on the floor.

"Ah, you are the best. I have to babysit Nessie more often."

Esme handed Jacob a plate with about 20 huge pancakes on it. He poured on about half a bottle of syrup and started to dig in. Nessie came in then, peeking over the top of the counter at Jacob's plate. He put a forkful of food in her mouth, which over-stuffed it. She chewed, looking like a hamster with food stored in its cheeks. Jacob lifted her up on another stool. Esme handed her a dish with a big pancake and fruit and sauce.

"I think you _should_ make them pass Nessie over to you more often. She's running them off their feet."

"Hey, Daddy and Momma say young people ought to have lots of energy!" Renesmee protested.

"I gave them a break last night. They seemed to enjoy it." Jacob leered.

"Don't be cheeky in front of Angela, Jacob. Our family hasn't corrupted her yet." Esme passed cups of steaming, fragrant coffee to me and Jake, and one of hot chocolate to Nessie.

"Thank you Gram. Angela? Can you tell me what my mother was like when she was a teenager?"

"Well, she was always kind. She never knew what to say when boys she didn't like asked her out. She never wanted to hurt anyone. She used to get embarrassed really easily, and she'd blush. Her eyes were very like yours. Expressive and warm. She didn't like attention or presents. She was clumsy, and she wouldn't let your daddy take her dancing. Um, and, she used to light up inside when he came in the room. I guess that nothing much has changed."

Renesmee grinned at me, sticky with chocolate syrup. "Except the dancing. Momma and Daddy are really good dancers now, you know. Auntie Alice has taken videos of them doing ballroom and Latin."

"Really? I'd love to see that sometime." I grabbed a clean cloth from beside Esme, who was now loading the dishwasher, and used it to wipe off Renesmee's face. "You know, your Daddy sings beautifully. When we all went on the bus trip before the wedding, he sang for us quite a bit. Does Momma sing now, too?"

"Not unless you want to clear a room," said Bella as she walked up to me and leaned against the counter., "But Edward is trying to teach me piano. He has the patience of Job. It's so annoying."

Rosalie sashayed in like she was walking down a runway. "He's only patient since he got rid of all that angst, Bella. I'm so glad you're one of us, now. Hey, I was wondering if I could borrow Nessie for the day. She's outgrowing her clothes again."

"Shopping! Yay! Is Auntie Lis coming? Oh, _please, please, please, please, please _Momma?" Renesmee hopped off the stool and jiggled up and down.

"When have I ever said 'no' to you going shopping, dolly? You grow so fast it makes my head spin. Don't wear your Aunties out, please."

"Okay. Thank you. Let's go, Auntie Rose!" Renesmee tore out of the kitchen and Rosalie walked after her, chuckling and shaking her head.

Bella watched them leave. "Thank God I have her. Alice hardly ever tries to turn me into Guinea Pig Barbie anymore."


	6. Chapter 6: The Fairy Tale

**Chapter 6: The Fairy Tale**

**Nothing belongs to me. I'm borrowing it from its respective owners. No profit is being made.**

**Sunday, August 2nd, 2009**

**Angela's pov**

Edward had stayed behind at the main house, claiming he needed to talk to Carlisle. I stood before the cottage, stunned.

It was like a hobbit hole, romantic and secluded, and stocked with comforts. No wonder they had such a happy marriage. Esme was a genius.

The little sitting room was cozy and inviting, and I supposed the art was worth a pretty penny. There was an old sampler with the Serenity Prayer on it that I particularly liked. Probably a family heirloom:

_God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,_

_The courage to change the things I can,_

_And the wisdom to know the difference._

The kitchen was minimal. They just kept snacks in it. A washer and dryer were hidden in a cupboard in one corner of the kitchen. Bella said that was the main use of the room. Bella said they never cooked there. They always ate main meals at the big house, or went out.

Bella's bedroom looked like something out of a design magazine. It mimicked a tropical beach, with plush sand-coloured carpet, white linens and sky blue walls. On the wall was a practically life-size photograph of Edward, asleep. I was surprised he had allowed Bella to display it, seeing as how embarrassed he had been when it had been published in a wedding magazine in 2006.

My friends didn't know I owned a copy of that magazine. They were on the cover, in their exquisite wedding clothes, and I was proud of them. There were a few nice pictures of them inside. I had simply been too shy to admit that I had it, considering that the poster in the middle was this picture on their wall: Edward asleep naked on the beach in Rio.

The bed had gossamer netting hanging from plantation-style posts, and beyond the French door was a tiny garden with a hot tub set into the ground like a pond. The frogs in the garden were croaking. It was serene.

The bathroom had matching decor, with tiny, smooth river rocks embedded in patterns on the walls. Again, there was a large white jaccuzzi tub. The fittings looked like pewter, and there were more of the fluffy white towels and scented candles that graced the main house's bathrooms.

Bella showed me the walk-in closet, which she claimed terrified her. There were hundreds of garment bags hung on cedar-lined racks. She and Edward had liberated their favourite clothes from the garment bags that Alice had stuffed everything in, and placed these clothes on one rack closest to the door. Bella said Alice was not impressed with her for that, but that her sister-in-law ought to be glad that she did not give away every unnecessary piece of clothing in the room.

Last, Bella showed me Renesmee's room. It was a kid's paradise, but it was funny because it reflected how she was at that funny age between little kid and young lady. The bed, covered in a patchwork quilt, was carved out of maple by Emmett. It had funny animal faces all over it. There was a little matching carved desk and chair opposite, and not only were there crayons on it, but there were also fancy wooden fountain pens. A fat goldfish sat in a round bowl on the bedside table. There was a hand-written sign beside it that said, "Don't let Momma Bella feed me. She kills pets."

The hardwood floor was dark and warm, with a colourful braided rug. A stereo system to rival Edward's was ensconced on a built-in unit in the corner. There were toys, including baby toys, and dress-up costumes _everywhere_. Girl-crush posters of pop band artists and childish drawings lined the walls. A small keyboard and a tv and a computer topped off the child's possessions. Wow.

I expressed to Bella, what a lovely home she had and how pleased I was for her that she was so happy. Bella pulled me into the sitting room, asking after my parents and brothers. We barely sat down, when Nessie, Rosalie and Alice whirled in like a tornado.

"Okay, let's see what you've got!" smiled Bella, and Renesmee brought out her new things to show off. The Aunties, meanwhile, pulled everything she had outgrown out of her drawers and closet, and bagged it up to donate. Gosh, the stuff hardly looked like it had been worn. No wonder Bella had always been so resistant to shopping with Alice. She must be a shopaholic. Anyway, it was obvious that Renesmee got a lot of loving attention, and I knew Bella would not let her get too spoiled.

We were just finishing up when Bella's cell phone buzzed.

"Hello, Mr. Dreamy," she cooed, "Done with Carlisle already Dom Cullen? Pining for me? Well, yes, I do miss you, too...Oh. What's that? Great news!... Yeah, I'll bring her straight back. Oh. Stay here? ... Yeah, you're right... Okay... See you soon? Love ya! Bye." Bella closed her cell and smiled at me.

"Ben just called Edward. He's at your parents' house. Edward is going to pick him up. He'll be here in half an hour."

Alice was suddenly standing at my elbow. "Half an hour? _Half _an _hour_! You have _got _to be kidding me. _ RooOose! _ Emergency! You do the hair, I'll do the face. Bella? You try to find a nice shirt that will suit her. Fourth rack to the right, same size as you so don't worry. She'll have to keep the jeans, she's too tall and thin to borrow ours. Nessie! You loan a necklace to Angela. A nice thin gold chain. Oh, yes, perfect."

Alice spun me around and the next thing I knew my t-shirt was gone and Bella was tugging a fitted mauve eyelet blouse with cap sleeves over my head. Then, I was seated on a chair while the Cullen women decorated me and fussed with my hair. When they were all done, I was just about unrecognizable. I was also dizzy.

I think I just had my first guinea pig Barbie experience.

"You need to get some contact lenses, girlfriend," ordered Alice, "Ben needs to get a better look at your gorgeous eyes. We'll go shopping in a couple of weeks. This week will be too busy for you." Alice and Rose and Bella rapidly removed the evidence of my makeover. Then we all sat down again, as though nothing had ever happened. It reminded be of _Sense and Sensibility_.

There was a light knock, and in walked Edward with Ben at his side. Ben looked shy and sheepish. Everyone said hello. I couldn't talk. I only had eyes for Ben. He was staring back at me. Alice and Rose waved and took Renesmee outside.

"Do you want us to stay, Angela, or are you going to be okay by yourself?" Edward turned suddenly, and looked at Ben as though Ben had said something unpleasant.

"I'll be fine, thank you both."

"You make _sure _that you behave like a gentleman," Edward growled. Ben nodded and blushed.

In the blink of an eye, all the Cullens were gone. I looked at Ben. He shrugged his hands out, and the next thing I knew, his head was in my lap and his arms were around me, and he was telling me what kind of great ass he had been and how sorry he was for it and he was begging me to take him back. I tentatively touched his hair, breathing in his scent. I hadn't really breathed in so long. He met my eyes, and I smiled into his.

We talked for hours in my best friends' sitting room. Ben really _had_ behaved like an ass, and I told him so. I think he was a little shocked that I said the word. I think he was also a little shocked that I didn't try to dissuade him from criticizing himself. Not that it didn't matter to me what he had done, but at least he hadn't cheated on me while we were together, so as long as he kept his promise to never do it again I would give him a chance. I would never lie down and let him hurt me again. I would fight back. And if he hurt me again, I told him I'd sic Edward on him.

I had been so starved for Ben's company. For his touch. I palmed his cheek, and ran my hand through his hair. Then, he kissed me. The next thing I knew, he was on his knees and I was dancing around wearing his ring. Blissfully happy. I launched myself into his arms and knocked him down onto the sofa. I sat facing onto his lap and hugged his face to my chest while he crushed me to it. He kissed my chest and I let him, my face soaked with tears, and I held his face in my hands and thanked God.

Ben rocked me on his lap while I cried out all the feelings I'd bottled up. _Really charming_, I thought. A soggy, swollen-nosed, red-faced fiancée. Then, we had a bit of a laugh over ourselves, because he didn't look any better than me. We just sat there, holding tight, for a long time. Then, Ben thought perhaps we should go find our friends before they assumed we had taken over their home permanently.

We walked down the little path back to the main house. It was almost suppertime. The path was a bit spooky, but was impossible to get lost, because there were little garden lights placed every so often along the way. Eventually, we saw the roof of Carlisle and Esme's home, and in a few more minutes, we were there.

All the Cullens and Jake were lounging around on the front porch and at a picnic bench that had been pulled up in the driveway.

"So how did it go?" Edward asked casually, hands folded across his middle as he leaned back on his elbows on the steps. In answer, I held up my hand and waggled it, grinning. Everybody exclaimed and clapped, and Alice and Bella and Nessie ran up squealing to hug me. Edward was next. "I thought it would be something like that," he stated. Then he pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head.

When Edward turned to Ben, he gave him a stern look and put both hands on Ben's shoulders. Ben looked more than a little apprehensive. "Ben, you have been a good friend over the years, but that girl there is _my_ little angel, and if you ever hurt her again, I am going to kill you. Understand?" Ben gulped and nodded. He was definitely taking Edward seriously.

"Good. I'm glad to have you back. And I'm glad you've come to your senses. Welcome to the family, little bro." And then Edward hugged Ben and gave him a pat on the back.

"Edward? Thanks for talking some sense into me. I'm sorry for everything I put Angela through. I'll never forget what you've done for us." Ben's voice was a little husky.

"Aw, don't worry about it. That's what friends do for each other. _Now,_ some of you have not eaten. It is time for you to demolish these hotdogs before my son Jacob eats them all." Edward manoeuvered Ben onto the bench and gestured for me to come and join him. Nessie and Jake hurried over and grabbed plates.

My son Jacob? Private joke, I guess. Sometimes Edward said such _funny_ things. You'd think he was 100 years old.


	7. Chapter 7: Center of Attention

**Chapter 7: Center of Attention**

**Everything belongs to Stephenie, and this is written for love, not profit. Please don't sue.**

**Tuesday, August 11th**

**Angela's pov**

The week following our engagement was a bit of a blur. My parents were not thrilled at first, knowing how Ben had treated me. We had to have a long family talk about the past and the future and how we planned to proceed. But before Ben had left me, my parents had really liked him, and not knowing everything he'd done, they were prepared to support us. They believed his intentions were good.

We weren't planning on getting married for a year, so there was plenty of time to plan. That did not stop my parents from marching us up in front of everyone they knew and showing us off. The Aunties and cousins were again summoned for a tea party. My Dad even made us stand up in church while he made announcements. Well, at least that was 'good' attention.

My bratty brothers, Isaac and Josh, were being a pain in the neck. Having recently celebrated their 14th birthdays, they had plenty of blossoming testosterone and plenty of cheeky remarks, which they didn't hesitate to make in front of old church ladies and town gossips. My father had publicly rebuked his boys several times this week.

I would be glad to get back to school. I was blushing so often that Edward asked if I were channelling Bella. Naturally, Bella didn't blush anymore. She was a married woman, and she had no reason to blush about anything. She took Emmett and Jasper's remarks in stride. Unlike me. I'd better keep my brothers away from them, or they would learn a lot of bad things with which to tease me.

The month was becoming fairly hectic, since I was still lifeguarding part time at the community pool, and now that everything was hunky dory Ben and I were socializing alot. He was spending a lot of time with Edward, who shared an interest in the old martial arts movies Ben adored.

It came out that Edward spoke some Mandarin, and had never told Ben in case he said something wrong and Ben teased him. Now that the cat was out of the bag, the two of them were annoying Bella and me by making remarks neither of us could understand. Bella told Edward it was rude and he told her that she would just have to learn the language if she wanted to be included. Ben seconded that opinion. Men. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em, can't kill 'em.

I had seen Jess yesterday. She'd be taking a hairdressing course in the fall. She seemed to be much more mature and sensitive since dropping Lauren Mallory as a friend. Lauren had lost her reputation after the Niagara trip we took with the Cullens and the kids from Forks High. Apparently, the grapevine had been accurate for once. Lauren was cheap and she had contracted an STD. Half the boys in town were infected. Jess had tried to support her at first, but Lauren showed no remorse or inclination to change, and kicked Jess in the teeth for trying to be nice. Jess had given her up as a toxic friend.

Of course, Jess was still with Mike, who had asked her to Bella and Edward's wedding. He was a sensitive, kind person, so perhaps his better qualities had rubbed off on her. Mike was working full time at his parents' store. He was going to be taking over as manager soon, as his Dad wanted more time to himself. Mike and Jess were planning to get married next summer as well. Her ring was pretty flashy. I preferred my simple solitaire.

I thought I'd better book a caterer right away. At least Ben and I could use the church hall for our reception. Maybe Alice would help me plan the wedding. It would have to be on a lot smaller scale than Bella's, however. At least if we had a year to plan it, Alice couldn't drive us too insane by rushing to get things done.

Since I was not working today, and Ben had a shift at the video store, I decided to drop by the Cullens' and see if Alice would help with the wedding. I bet she knew lots of good caterers.

When I drove up to the Cullens', Alice was sitting on the front porch, jiggling up and down and grinning at me. I wondered why.

"Hi Alice. I wanted to talk to you. I wondered if you might consider helping out with my wedding. The budget is small, of course, so it won't be fancy, but-"

"Oh, _yes _Angela. I'm so thrilled that you asked me!" Alice squealed, jumping up like a jack-in-the-box. "We can do up something really nice for you. Thank goodness the colours in your church are decent. I once went to a wedding and the pastor had painted the reception hall orange because the paint was free. It was _awful_!

"I hope you won't mind me suggesting this," she gushed, "but I would really like to give you something. You see, I have my mother's wedding dress, and she was tall like you, so I couldn't wear it. And I won't have any kids to inherit it. So _if _you like it, and you mustn't be afraid to say 'no' if you don't, then I'd like to give it to you." With that, she dragged me up to her bedroom and into her huge, overstuffed walk-in closet. Jasper was sitting on the bed reading something about the Civil War. He took one look at us, smiled ruefully, and slid out of the room.

Alice pushed her way through piles of identical white garment bags until she reached the very back corner of the closet. I could barely see her. She grabbed a garment bag and fought her way back out. How on earth she knew which bag she was looking for was beyond me. Soon, she had unzipped it and was displaying it like a game show hostess. "What do you think?"

"Oh, Alice. It's beautiful."

"C'mon, try it on!"

"Okay."

"Now, you can't wear a bra with it, but don't be shy. It's lined and nobody will see through it." As she said this, Alice literally stripped me and pulled the gown over my head. Once the gown was on, I stepped out of my jeans and socks.

It was ivory silk, classic, backless and sleeveless, with a straight skirt, and it poured down me, draping in all the right places and puddling on the floor behind me. It looked like something from an old movie.

It was exquisite.

Rosalie opened the door, already beginning to ask Alice something. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wow, Angela, you are stunning. You'd better do what Alice tells you and get some contact lenses. Everybody will be completely blown away if you come down the aisle in that. Are you going to let me do your hair? I did Bella's."

"Really? That would be _awesome_." I couldn't believe how well this day was turning out. Providence, again.

"And you should ask Esme to cater. She'll feel left out it you don't include her."

"Esme cooked for Bella's wedding?" I couldn't believe it. How had I not known that! I was a bridesmaid, for Pete's sake.

Rosalie nodded. "Of course that was a casual buffet. You could have dinner served, if you ask the women from the church to help. Your church kitchen has place settings, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but there are so many cousins that we might have to rent more. Of course, the hall only holds 120, so mother will have to pick and choose who she invites. Ben's family gets 40 guests and my parents get 40. I've already claimed 40 spots myself, so she can't invite relatives over friends.

"Well, at least the size of the venue gives you an excuse to keep numbers under control. I can't imagine having 500 strangers at my wedding. I have a friend who married a guy from Portugal, and they had 800 people at their wedding. They had to get married in a cathedral, and the meals and celebrations went on for 3 days. I think they're still paying for it, and they got married 6 years ago."

"Wow. And I thought _this_ was going to take a lot of planning."

"Don't worry Ang. Everything will go off without a hitch. This is going to be fun. Trust me. Look, it's a year away, and you already have your wedding planner, your dress, your hairdresser, your hall, your church and your caterer. Oh, Jasper could do the video. Next, you need flowers and a photographer. And you need to choose your wedding party. No big. You could practically get married next week without stressing yourself out." I recoiled a bit.

"No, we aren't getting married 'til we're done school. Let's just take our time and enjoy the engagement, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan." Alice skinned me out of the dress, zipped it back in its bag in a flash, and hung it on a hook beside the entrance to her closet. I covered my chest with my hands until Rosalie yanked down my top halfway and buckled my bra around my middle. I put my arms through the bra straps and hoisted it up. Then I put my arms through my shirt and scrambled back into my jeans. Rosalie and Alice ignored me and talked about whatever question Rose had come in intending to ask earlier. I guess they were used to getting changed in front of girls. Must be nice to have sisters.

"Girls, I can't thank you enough. I am so looking forward to this wedding. Now, where do you suppose I could find your sister-in-law, since I want to ask her to be my Matron of Honour?"

"We thought you would ask her. Ben has already asked Edward to be his Best Man, and Austin and Mike to be ushers." Alice informed me.

"Yeah, Edward and Ben are best buds now. Ben will always be thankful to Edward for being tough on him. I dunno why Edward did it. Why does he like me so much?"

"Don't underrate yourself, girlfriend. You are one of the nicest chicks around. Edward is an infallible judge of character, but don't tell him I said that. He thinks you're his baby sister now, so we're all staking claims on you. Adjust."

"Bella and Edward took Nessie surfing at LaPush," stated Rosalie.

I gaped at her. "_Bella_ is _surfing_?"

"She's not an avid surfer, but she goes because they like it and she likes to watch. Bella is a pretty strong swimmer, you know, having grown up in Arizona. She didn't do her lifeguarding levels, but she could have passed."

"She didn't surf the time our friends went to LaPush." I argued.

"Wasn't that springtime? It would have been cold. Bella hates the cold. I bet it's warm today." Rose played with her hair as she preened in Alice's huge gilt mirror.

"Maybe I'll drive out there and see if I find them," I mused. It would be fun to see them surf, even if my own suit was packed away at home. Yes, it sounded like a good way to spend the afternoon.


	8. Chapter 8: Reality Unravels

**Chapter 8: Reality Unravels **

**All belongs to Stephenie Meyer, and the Chinook Observer.**

**Tuesday, August 11th**

**Angela's pov**

As I shuffled down the beach, I saw Bella ride a wave into shore, dismount from the board gracefully and turn to watch Edward glide in with Nessie. Ness was balancing carefully on the front of his board, and he hovered behind her, ready to grab on should she need his assistance.

As they hit the sand, Nessie tottered a bit and stepped off. Edward steadied her and jumped down to pick up the board. The three of them looked like something out of a movie, stunning in their black surfing gear. I noticed it was winter gear, with long sleeves and pants. I guess none of them liked to be cold.

Edward noticed me and waved, and pointed me out to Bella. She waited for me on shore while Edward paddled back out with Nessie. Bella and I pulled up a rock. She was smiling contentedly, enjoying the day.

"I never knew you could surf," I stated. "Do you come here often?"

"Only when it's warm. Edward and I did a lot of snorkelling on our honeymoon, and we've been surfing in tropical climates a couple of times, but we really don't get in the water much here. You have to be so careful of the rocks."

Edward and Nessie reached the shore again. He said hello and asked after me, and then Nessie dragged him back in again, laughing.

"Bella, I came to ask if you'd be my Matron of Honour."

"I'd be thrilled. Thanks for asking me." Bella smiled and put her arm around me and gave me a squeeze.

"I've asked Alice to do the wedding."

"Oh, Heaven help us," Bella rolled her eyes. "I hope you know what you're in for. You know how she gets carried away."

"Well, I figured you could help me keep her on a leash."

"Yeah, she will probably be easier to manage than last time. She got her yah-yahs out on mine." We shared a conspiratory chuckle.

Far out in the water, Edward hoisted Nessie up to sit on the board, and started to lever himself onto it. Even from that distance, we could see him stiffen in shock. Then he gave a yell and disappeared under the water. Bella and I stood up, craning our necks, searching. The surfboard began moving toward shore. Nessie was now kneeling on it, and she was crying for her daddy as she peered into the water.

Bella turned to me urgently, "Get Nessie in and hold onto her. Don't _either _of you follow me in. Protect my daughter!" Bella turned and pelted into the water. There was no sign of Edward.

As the board approached the shoreline, I flew into the water and grabbed Renesmee and carried her in. She was very heavy. I set her down on the beach and kneeled down to look in her eyes.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"Shark." Nessie scanned the water for her parents. Neither one was visible. Oh, God help us. What would I do if they both died in front of their little girl? I took off my shoes and got ready to hurl myself in. Something stopped me. Nessie was clinging to my hips, and I could not break free. It was like being held back by a concrete wall.

"Momma said not to go in. She told you to stay here. She will get Daddy, don't worry." Despite her brave words, the child's lower lip was quivering.

Suddenly, something pelted past me into the water. Alice. She stopped dead about 10 feet from shore. Two heads had broken the surface several yards out. Bella was pulling Edward in.

Alice went further out in the water and helped Bella to tow Edward to shore. They half-carried him out of the water and laid him down on the sand. He was conscious, and he was making a small panting noise like he was in pain. He looked up at me and his daughter. His face was bone white and his eyes were black with shock.

"I'm okay," he rasped, "Great White. It dragged me down. Guess it thought I was a seal. Guess it didn't like the taste of me. Bella punched it on the snout and it let me go." He reached down to touch his right thigh and I gasped. There was an enormous crescent-shaped tear through the wetsuit. My first aid training kicked in and I pulled back the fabric to examine the flesh. He was lucky, nothing had been bitten off, but the wound had to be bone deep. The jagged tear looked strange. It was oozing silvery liquid and I couldn't see any blood. The flesh was all white. It was alien. I attempted to touch it. Alice slapped my hand away. Her eyes flashed, black. I leaned back to sit on my feet.

"I have to get him home to Carlisle, and I can't do it at human speed," Bella stated. "Angela? You are going to have to trust us. We won't hurt you. Alice? Bring her back to the house." With that, Bella heaved Edward over her shoulder in a fireman's carry, as though he weighed nothing at all. Then she and Nessie started to run. Within seconds, they had vanished.

I stared after them, not comprehending anything I was seeing. There was a strange wheezing noise coming from somewhere. I realized that it was me, hyperventilating. Alice gripped my arms and looked in my eyes. "Stay _with _me, Angela. It's going to be okay. I am going to carry you back to the house. It's faster than using your car." With that, tiny Alice slung me up on her back and we took off like a jet from a runway. I closed my eyes and hid my face, terrified. What was this? I must be hallucinating.

In what seemed like no time at all, Alice stopped. I dared to peek out at our surroundings. We were in the Cullens' driveway. Alice put me down and I backed up warily, preparing to run. Suddenly, Jasper and Esme were there, holding onto my arms.

"It's alright Angela, we will not harm you," Esme said reassuringly. Jasper swung me up into his arms and carried me into the house. He set me down on one of the couches and went to stand in front of the door with his arms folded.

"I didn't See what was going to happen until it was too late to prevent it," Alice berated herself.

"Carlisle says everything will be fine. It's only a fleshwound. Luckily, the shark didn't bite a chunk out of him. I can just see Bella chasing after a Great White and turning it inside out." Esme smiled a little.

"Well, could you blame her? I wouldn't let Emmett go through eternity with missing pieces. I don't somehow think a shark would find Edward very digestible." Rosalie said as she paced.

I was in a madhouse, surely. Edward should be getting to the Emergency for urgent help, and here they were, all sitting around spouting nonsense.

Suddenly, Emmett bellowed from the front walk for somebody to open the door. Jasper complied. Emmett flew into the house. He had a large buck draped over his shoulders, and it was bleating and struggling. Emmett barreled up the stairs with the deer.

Without thinking, I hurtled up the stairs after him. Suddenly, Jasper had me by the arm. I looked at him in terror, cringing away. He regarded me pityingly.

"Jasper," said Alice softly, "it's too late. She knows we're not human. Let her go."

I stared at Alice, shocked. Jasper let me go, and I stumbled up to Edward's room.

**Author's note: The following newspaper article is real, so please don't tell me there couldn't be sharks. Warm weather brings them closer to shore in search of sea lions and seals. Leopard sharks and Great Whites were seen all up and down the north east coast that month, including a school of 12-15 foot Great Whites at Own Shores Beach Resort on the Washington coast, and a 14 foot Great White at Depot Bay, Oregon.**

_**The Chinook Observer**_

_**8/11/2009 Article ID 29968**_

"_**Sightings Lead to Shark Warnings"**_

_**wwwdotchinookobserverdotcom**_


	9. Chapter 9: Too Much Information

**Chapter 9: Too Much Information**

**Angela's pov**

I looked into the eyes of Jasper Cullen. He looked dangerous. He also looked frightened. Slowly, I drew myself up and stared into his eyes. He was holding me in a vise-like grip. Resistance was futile.

"It's okay, Jasper, seriously. She's not going to betray us. She's too loyal." Alice was sitting on the couch. Then, she was standing beside Jasper on the stairs with her hand on his arm. She moved so fast that I didn't see her do it.

Jasper nodded at Alice, and backed off. Warmth crept back stingingly into my arms when he released me. I rubbed them absentmindedly.

I turned to go up the stairs, but I was suddenly unable to move my feet. "It's okay, Angela. We're the same people we were this morning, and you are still family. Our lives are just a little more... _complicated_ than you imagined." Alice placed her hand on the small of my back and gave me a little push. I forced my legs to move.

My knees wobbled with every step. I gripped the bannister for support. I did not know whether to go forward or run away, but what I did know was that Edward and Bella and the rest of the Cullens had always been kind to me. I decided to risk trusting them, no matter what kind of alien creatures they turned out to be.

Rosalie was standing guard outside Edward's bedroom. She exchanged an unhappy look with Alice. I braced myself outside the bedroom door. Then Alice turned the knob and ushered me inside.

The enormous buck was lying across the bed. It was not moving. Edward was sitting up with it in his arms. There was a sudden onslaught of sound. The family was protesting my presence.

Carlisle, Bella and Emmett moved to stand defensively at the foot of the bed. There was a strange, menacing growling noise coming from somewhere in the room. With the bedroom curtains closed, the room was quite dingy. I strained to see what was happening.

"What in God's name do you think you are doing, Alice? Have you gone insane?" barked Carlisle.

"This is what is meant to be, Carlisle. Angela knows our family is not... normal. She is going to keep the secret. She is going to be a help to us in the future, be a surrogate member of the family."

"You can't _imagine_ any of us is going to change her," Carlisle snarled. I had never heard him get angry before. _Change_ me? To be like_ them_? I cowered back against Rosalie and Alice.

"She won't choose to be changed. It won't happen, but she must know the truth in order to have her future." Alice patted my hand. Rosalie rubbed my back consolingly.

"And what will the Volturi have to say about that?"

"Actually, they are never going to bother her. They will never even find out that she exists."

Carlisle eyed me appraisingly as I stood cringing in the doorway. "Are you afraid of us, Angela?"

My throat felt too closed to answer. "Of course she's afraid," scoffed Jasper from behind me. "She's a perceptive girl." I took a tentative step into the room. A strange feeling of calm came over me.

Edward released the deer and Emmett picked it up. Edward fell back against a pile of pillows with a sigh. Emmett moved to the far end of the room. He threw back a curtain and opened a door-like window, flooding the room with light. He took the deer and pitched it out the window. It landed two storeys down with a dull thud. It made no noise of protest. It was already dead. I gasped and turned to look at Edward.

I'm sure I must have screamed. I hurled myself backward against the foot of the wall, huddling up and averting my face. Edward Cullen, my friend and protector, had blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. The sense of betrayal was overwhelming. Would they kill me now?

Bella, my best friend, picked up a cloth and tenderly wiped away the blood. The ripping, sawing noise was clawing its way out of my body again. Christ Aid! I was in a house full of demons. I snatched at the cross I wore on my neck, and held it up as a talisman.

"In the name of Jesus Christ, I demand that all evil spirits depart from this place! I claim this house for God!" I yelled shrilly. There were several muted chuckles in the room. A thrill of horror passed up my spine.

"That doesn't seem to be very effective," Edward said weakly from the bed. "Would you like to try using mine instead?" He held up an object worn about his neck. I saw it was a small, gold cross. "Or perhaps you should try Carlisle's. It's much older than mine and doubtless more powerful."

I turned to look at Carlisle. He was also holding up his cross. I looked at my own cross. "So you're not demons?" I asked huskily.

"No, we're Christians actually. Just because we aren't human anymore doesn't make us soulless monsters."

"Are all of you Christians?"

Bella smiled wryly, "No, some of us would rather wallow in self-pity, thinking we're damned regardless of belief, _despite _compelling evidence to the contrary."

I relaxed my posture to sit on the floor, leaning back weakly against the wall. "What are you?" I asked with a trembling voice.

Bella moved closer to me, to look me in the eye. "You know what we are, Angela." My gaze drifted back to Edward, looking so fragile as he leaned back against his pillows. He was obviously still in pain. The Cullens had never done me anything but good. They weren't likely to harm me.

"You ... are vampires." A shudder ripped through me. Bella crouched down gracefully and took both my hands in her cold ones. She continued to look me in the eye.

"We are _vegetarian_ vampires," she corrected, "We do _not _hurt people. We feed only from animals." I nodded, in order to show Bella that I accepted her word. Bella drew me to my feet and pulled me closer to the bed. Carlisle moved to stand between us and Edward, his posture defensive.

"I need your word that you will do no harm to my family. You can never ever speak of this to anyone, or the fact that you know about us will be discovered by our leaders and we will all be killed. All of us. You, Ben, Jacob, Renesmee, possibly your parents and brothers, Charlie and his family, and definitely all of the Cullens and all of our extended family and friends, _depend _upon our existence remaining secret."

"What about Ben? What do I tell him?"

"Nothing for now. Maybe he will need partial knowledge in the future, but right now he's better off knowing nothing. If he notices anything unusual, he will rationalize it, just like you did.

"The more people who know, the more dangerous things become." Bella looked down at the floor.

I looked from face to face and realized the enormity of my decision. They were all regarding me solemnly. "I make you a promise as a Christian, that I will never harm anyone in your family, and that I will keep your secrets, _as long as_ you do not hurt humans."

"Boy, she'd fit _right in _at LaPush," Emmett grumbled, shaking his head.


	10. Chapter 10: Truth Will Out

**Chapter 10: Truth Will Out**

**Everything is Stephenie's. No sue**

**Angela's pov**

As I looked down at Edward, Bella released my hand and took his in both of hers. She regarded me calmly. I edged closer.

Edward was lying sprawled out and propped up, with his injured leg sticking out of the sheet that was covering the rest of him. He was apparently unclothed. There was a blue surgical sheet lying next to him on the mattress, with a few medical instruments and sponges lying on it, and some strange objects piled up in a little metal dish. The silver, viscuous fluid was everywhere. I reached out a finger to examine it.

"Don't touch it! It's poisonous!" Bella ordered, grabbing my fingers. I took my hand back.

I realized with a shock that the odd objects in the dish were shark teeth. I took a good look at Edward's wound for the first time. It was at least 10 inches in diameter, irregular in shape and very deep. The scent of his... blood was weird and metallic, but sweet. Edward's flesh was partially severed, front and back. The wound nearly encompassed his entire thigh. More teeth were embedded in its rough edges.

"That's a mess," I said lamely.

Edward shrugged, "At least its still attached. I'll be well in a few days, if I keep still. Thank God that thing didn't get hold of Nessie instead of me. She's not durable. Her heart's still beating."

My gaze flickered between Edward and Bella. "Nessie is your biological daughter," I stated.

"Yes," Bella confirmed, "She grows at an advanced rate, and she will stop aging when she reaches maturity. I hated to lie to you Angela, and I hope you will forgive us all. It was for everyone's protection."

Emmett interrupted, "Nessie's a _hump_ire. Get it? _Hum_-an, Vam-_pire _hybrid." Emmett bent forward, laughing. Everyone else glared at him.

"Call her that again, Emmett, and as soon as I get out of this bed I am going to turn you inside out," Edward growled.

I ignored them both and turned to my girlfriend, "You told me a lot of half-truths, Bella."

"Yes."

"You knew about this since the day we went to Port Angeles."

"I did."

"And you were alone with the secret all those years. Even when the Cullens left Forks."

"Yes."

I nodded resolutely.

"Sunday morning, I woke up early, and I looked out the window. I saw you two and Nessie flit through the yard, with some kind of giant reddish-brown wolf. I wasn't dreaming, was I?"

"No. I heard your thoughts, so we immediately ran into the house and put on our robes to disguise the fact that we'd been out," Edward admitted.

"What's with the wolf? Is it a pet?"

"More like a family member. Jacob is the wolf. He is a shape-shifter. He's one of the alpha wolves. His pack is dedicated to the preservation of human life. Jacob's pack and Sam Uley's are allied with us to protect the locals from our enemy clans."

"Wait. Back up a sec'. _You _canhear my_ thoughts_?" my mind balked.

"A lot of us are talented. It's how I knew you were a good person. A good friend for Bella. It's how I knew you and Ben were well-suited. And I use my talent to protect us all. It comes in handy."

"There are a lot of you?"

Carlisle shrugged, "Well, there are a lot more of us than you would expect. But most vampires are not like us. Most of them are evil and they do kill humans. We are acquainted with a fair number of vegetarians, however. About four dozen, worldwide, counting us. The lifestyle is gaining popularity as news about us spreads. Sometimes the other vegetarians visit us, and sometimes we visit them.

"You can tell who is relatively safe for you to be with by looking at their eye colour. Of course, some vampires wear coloured contact lenses to disguise their eyes. If you see someone who resembles us, but with muddy brown or violet eyes, you should assume they are not what they are pretending to be. Charlie had to be shown gently that Bella's eyes had changed colour. It was difficult for him to accept.

"Red eyes mean traditional. Bright, glowing red identifies a dangerous newborn. You would probably not live to tell anyone if you met _any_ red-eyed vampire, but there is a chance that if it is not a newborn, its curiosity would get the better of it, and it would ask you questions.

Obviously, if you are in contact with us, it will smell us on you. If you have the opportunity to say that you are under the Cullens' protection, it may release you. Our family is powerful. It is the second largest coven in existence. Besides our members here, Edward has a young coven in the Amazon, because he is in charge of two territories. Our vegetarian cousins in Alaska are the third largest. The world's largest, most powerful coven is the Volturi. They are traditionalists and they are therefore brutal, despite their air of gentility.

"Black-eyed means hungry, upset or injured. Any black-eyed vampire could be a threat to you, including us. Gold or amber means a calm vegetarian. You are pretty safe with any golden-eye." Carlisle's eyes regarded me thoughtfully.

"Huh," was all I could think of to say.

"Sheesh, she is _just_ like Bella. No sense of self-preservation at all," said Emmett incredulously. "You really know how to pick 'em, Edward."

Edward sighed and rolled his eyes, "Sure, Em, blame it all on me. It's this town, I swear. It's like a mythical creature convention around here, and none of the locals are bright enough to notice, or panic, or set off a nuke in this place." Edward turned his eyes on me. A black shadow of pain seemed to flit through them, then they turned amber again.

"I know this is the most important conversation of your life, Ang, but if Carlisle doesn't soon get to work fixing this leg, it's going to start healing and it will be much more difficult and painful to rectify. Painkillers have no effect on us, so I would appreciate it if you would go down and let my mother answer your questions so my father can get the job done."

"Of course, Edward. I understand." I did understand, but the curiosity was burning at me and I'd have liked to stay and watch Carlisle work. "Shouldn't somebody fill Esme in, before I start asking her things?"

"We have excellent hearing. She already knows everything. Now off you go. It is going to be a long evening for you. And there is much that the family needs to discuss as well." Carlisle pursed his lips. Then he switched places with me, giving me a pat on the shoulder as he passed by, and bent over Edward, already intent on his work. I turned to head for the door, and a muffled moan escaped Edward as another tooth plunked into the dish.

"I'm glad it didn't latch onto me any higher," he chuckled, "It might have damaged something important."

Carlisle grunted affirmatively, "Yes, you were very fortunate. That would have been dreadful to repair, and probably Bella'd be going through that shark's stomach contents right now, looking for bits of you that she couldn't do without." Edward breathed an appreciative laugh, then his breath hissed in through his teeth as another tooth plunked into the dish.

"You bet. I am _not_ going through eternity with him if he's missing any essential parts. Especially that one." The two men laughed, and Bella kissed Edward's hand. I took my leave, treading down the steps behind Jasper, Alice, Rose, and Emmett to get an education on vegetarian vampires.

Esme was sitting in a chair in the living room, and Nessie was standing beside her, holding her hand, waiting for me.


	11. Chapter 11: The Penultimate Day

**Chapter 11: The Penultimate Day**

**July 31, 2010**

**Angela's pov**

A year had passed since I found out about the Cullens. A year where I re-invented my concept of life, a year of promise, a year of joy ... a year of _secrets_.

To the uninitiated, life passed in its usual way. Ben and I completed our schooling, and we applied for jobs in Forks and obtained them. The wedding took the usual amount of work to prepare. There were the usual frustrations, the usual conversations, and the usual parties. But everything took on a surreal quality for me. Everything was extra-special. And that was because I was now a Secret Keeper.

It was a miracle every day, watching the Cullens do ordinary and exceptional things in their extraordinary ways. Not to mention the wolves. I knew _everything_ about _everyone_. I knew who was who, I knew their talents, I knew their strengths and their limitations. I even knew about Jacob's attachment to Nessie. And I loved it all. It was fascinating. As a privileged outsider unconfined by the burden of living an extended lifespan away from Heaven, I felt blessed.

Ben benefitted from the blessings, too, but he was still innocent of knowledge. He made assumptions when anything seemed fishy, and I did not feel like I was deceiving him. We were both happy, and we were getting married in less than 24 hours.

I drove up to the Cullen house in my Neon, left it in the drive and bounced in through the front door. I was surprised to find all the Cullens and Jacob sitting in the living room. Everyone was regarding me seriously, which was a little discomfiting. I looked to Edward for an explanation. He cleared his throat and drew in a breath to speak.

"Angela, tomorrow is your big day, and we are going to be here to share in all your joy. We are going to be part of your life, and Ben's, for as long as you will have us. We will _never_ abandon you. But something serious has happened, and we are going to have to deal with it in a way that may make you sad. We are going to have to leave Forks for some years."

I looked, appalled, at Nessie. She already resembled an 11 year old, and I was planning on seeing how she turned out.

"Why? Why can't you stay?" I demanded, the tears already making my voice thick.

"Little Angel, we don't age. Carlisle's trying to pass for 38 in the body of a 24 year old. Esme is trying to do the same in the body of a 27 year old. Jacob is always going to look 25. The rest of us are having a hard time passing for 20-somethings in the bodies of much younger people. We can't manage forever in one spot. It's one of the problems with being what we are. Trust us, if we had_ our _way we'd be staying. This has been the best home we have ever known.

"What happened, that you had to tell me this the day before the wedding?" I fumed.

"The hospital director has gotten suspicious. He has noticed odd things about me, and Edward read in his mind yesterday that he has sent away for records of my previous employment. That file will include a picture of me from the security card I used at the hospital where I worked 10 years ago. We are going to have to disappear, and soon. When you get back from the honeymoon, I fear we will all be gone. Jacob, too. We talked to Charlie, Sam, and Billy this morning."

I shut my eyes in horror. Life without the Cullens. My big freaky second family, all gone. I knew they had to go, but what about me? I opened my eyes, and the tears spilled down my cheeks.

"Now, now, sweetie, it won't be as bad as it sounds. Dry your tears," Edward said. "We have a plan that we hope will appeal to you. It would, of course, be too dangerous for you to come with us. We don't know quite where we will settle, yet, and we never know who we will stumble across when we are migrating. But we thought something else might work to all our benefits."

"What's that?" I sniffled.

"Initially, we are going to Alaska to our cousins' place, to consider our options from a safe distance. We will be taking a short trip back at some point to set up new identities. Meanwhile, our cousins are also in need of a relocate. They have never lived here, so we have offered them this house. They are moving in the day after tomorrow. You may have met some of them at our wedding.

"The leader is Tanya Denali. She is the oldest vegetarian we know but she looks younger than the rest of her family. Her sister Kate is also very old. Kate's mate, Garrett, is a recent addition to the family and a recent convert to the lifestyle. They've been together about four and a half years. Garrett is acclimating very well and I think you will be safe around him. Tanya's sister Irina was murdered four years ago, around the same time Kate met Garrett. Irina's mate was named Laurent. He is dead, too. The last two members of the family are Carmen and Eleazar. They are very affectionate people. They look a little older than the rest but they're closer to Carlisle's age than Tanya's. They will be posing as the parents of the family.

"Now, the Denalis make their money by writing trashy novels and sex education manuals. Kate and Tanya make Lauren Mallory look like a nun. We call their kind succubi. They aren't demons, they are sex-crazed vampires. The Denalis do not exactly follow our Christian moral code, but they are good, kind-hearted people and they are lots of fun to be around as long as you make your limits clear. They would not cross any lines with you, should you agree to our plan. I have already obtained their solemn vow not to molest you or Ben. You don't have to worry about them.

"To be frank, we do not want to part with this house, and we'd kind of like somebody trustworthy around to keep an eye on things while we are gone. We can't come back to live here for at least 60 years, when most of the people who know us have passed on or have faded recollections of us."

I must have looked stricken. _Will you Cullens leave me behind for the rest of my life? _Edward hurried to finish his explanation. "No, of course not. What we thought was, ..._ how_ would you and Ben feel about coming to live in the cottage? Taking care of the place for us, and staying in touch regularly? And reporting whether the Denalis are behaving in ways that make people suspicious? We would pay you handsomely, and take care of all your needs, and that way, we could see you occasionally and know all the time how you and Ben are doing." Edward looked at me, waiting for an answer.

I wanted to answer the Cullens immediately, but I was getting married the next day. "I want to say yes, I'd love to, but I should really talk to Ben first, since it involves his life as well."

"Of course." Edward acknowledged.

"He's going to be thrilled. They will be able to live here, and still work jobs outside the home. They won't have to pay for housing, and they'll be able to retire whenever they want," Alice said perkily. "Go call Ben now, Angela. He's been worried about expenses."

I ran upstairs to use the phone, excited for the future again.


	12. Chapter 12: The Ultimate Day

**Chapter 12: The Ultimate Day**

**Stephenie's. Not mine. Sigh.**

**Edward's pov**

I smiled as Ben and I stood in the back room of the church, helping him to straighten his tie and pass his last few minutes as a single man. I smiled, but inside I was going to pieces, because the moment of separation would come all too soon. It had been a long time since we'd moved, and many years more since we'd left anybody special behind. You never got used to it.

Soon, Ben, myself, Mike and Austin were standing before the altar, in our black tuxes and sky blue cummerbunds and bow ties, and then Nessie was leading the girls' procession down the aisle, spilling flower petals daintily out of her basket. Bella, Jess, and two of Angela's cousins were lovely in their coordinated sky blue cocktail dresses. Nessie looked pretty sweet in a more age-appropriate dress. Then came the little angel, breathtaking in her ivory silk and sans eyeglasses. My little birdie was flying the coop, albeit with my blessing, and I was delighted but also sad. I hoped God would forgive me for feeling a little smug, too, because without my intervention they might never have gotten together.

The church was redolent with the scent of hundreds of white blooms. Orchids, roses, freesia, baby's breath, and lily of the valley. The Aunties and Cousins were highly appreciative of Alice's work. They chattered about all the arrangements like a bunch of broody hens.

The eternal words were spoken, and the newlyweds kissed, and back down the aisle we all went to the sound of the organ. I crooked my arm for Bella, and we smiled as we marched out, sharing a memory of our own special day.

There were people to be greeted and pictures to be taken. Thank God, it was raining as Alice had predicted. The pictures had to be taken inside the church.

The humans all raved about the food. They loved Esme's prime rib and oven-roasted potatoes, with mixed baby vegetables and Yorkshire pudding. They loved the variety of breads and the excellent coffee with fresh cream. And they loved the chocolate wedding cake.

The Cullens and Hales attempted to show the appropriate degree of enthusiasm for said food, using various tricks to make it disappear off over-filled plates. At least Nessie, in her seat next to Bella, was able to enjoy some of it without faking. Her cake disappeared particularly quickly. I was glad that we never had to worry about her diet. She'd be immortal before she could age enough to really worry about her health.

After the dinner, we migrated to the tent next door at the manse where the Webers lived. It was a little rainy, so we ushers held umbrellas for the guests. It was fun. It hearkened back to an earlier age, when manners were important. Naturally, I teased Ben. Rain at your wedding meant fertility, I said. He rolled his eyes and said not everyone wanted to be a dad at 22. I could do it for him. However many times I wanted. Hah! If he only knew the truth.

The dance was great, and Angela and Ben seemed to really be having a ball. A couple of the old Aunties commandeered the Cullen men, myself included, for some old fashioned Swing dancing. Alice wandered around watching everyone, with a smug look on her face. If we weren't careful, she was going to become a well-known wedding planner and we'd be trying to avoid getting her picture in the paper.

The hour grew late, and young Mr and Mrs Ben Cheney would soon have to depart. Angela went up with Bella to her room to change into a pale blue linen summer dress. Then, she summoned the Cullens for a private goodbye before coming down to say goodbye to the guests.

Angela thanked each member of the family personally, and said what she loved most about them. She thanked Bella for being her sister and she thanked me for being her big brother and protector. She thanked us for including her in our lives and our secrets, and she said she was going to miss us all _so_ _badly_. Had we been human, there would not have been a dry eye in the house. As it was, most of us were sobbing by the time she was through, and Alice had to fix Angela's face since she had cried off all of her makeup.

Everyone got a kiss and a hug, and Angela saved me for last. I let my little angel go, as I produced a little bunch of forget-me-nots and pinned them in her hair. I could only nod as Angela promised she would not forget us, and my family promised not to forget her. Then we filed sadly downstairs to await the return of the bride and see the departure of the happy couple. I only had enough time to say a proper goodbye to Ben before Angela came down on her father's arm, and the couple was pelted with confetti as they ran to the Neon and drove away.

The Cullens and Hales stayed late, in order to help the Webers clean up after the party. Nessie fell asleep and Jake took her home in the Rabbit. Bella and I took Ang and Ben's wedding gifts to our cottage. All our special possessions and mementos were pretty much packed and ready for our departure. We would store everything but necessities until we found a new place to settle.

Most of the furniture was to be left behind at the house and the cottage for the next inhabitants' use. The exceptions were Esme's dining room table, my mother Elizabeth's dresser, my piano, Carlisle's antique desk, Nessie's bedroom furniture, Rosalie's hope chest, Bella's rocking chair, and our favourite pieces of art, which would be stored for use at the next house.

Alice had enlisted Jasper and Rose's help to redecorate Renesmee's room. Alice said Angela was going to have two sons, someday. We left behind a crib and a toddler bed, with appropriate baby necessities. Ben and Ang would probably think it was a big joke. We also stocked the kitchen with food, and put a brand new computer with a webcam in a corner of the sitting room.

The next morning, the movers brought a big storage bin, and all our stuff was carried away. The eight of us stood in the living room, wondering at the blandness of the rooms. Carlisle said a prayer as we stood with linked hands. It was the first time that Rose, Jazz and Emmett joined in the farewell ritual.

Carlisle thanked God for the bountiful life we had been accorded in Forks for the past eight years. He asked for blessings as we looked for a new home. He asked for protection for us, and for the people we were leaving behind. We let our hands fall, and had a last look around.

By the time we stepped outside, Charlie, Sue, Seth, Leah, Billy, Embry, Quill and Jared were there. Jacob put his gear into the back of the Volvo, which he would be driving. His pack would probably be joining us once we were settled somewhere safe and they'd bring the Rabbit and the motorcycles with them. Sam and his pack showed up in time to shake hands and say goodbye.

By the time we had all hugged and kissed Charlie, we were sobbing again. It was worse because Charlie was crying. Finally, there was no more excuse to delay. Carlisle and Esme got in the Merc. Rose got in the MG. Emmett got in the jeep. Alice got in the porche, and Jazz got on his motorcycle. Bella and Nessie got in the Ferrari, accompanied by the pet goldfish, and I got in the Vanquish. The engines revved, and then we set off north, into the unknown.


	13. Chapter 13: New Beginnings

**Chapter 13: New Beginnings**

**Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. This is a tribute. Please don't sue.**

**August 20, 2010**

**Angela's pov**

Ben and I returned from our honeymoon, relaxed and excited to start our new life together. We drove to our parents' houses and greeted them. Then, we set off for the cottage. We parked out of habit in front of the main house, leaving the keys in the ignition. Only afterward did we wonder at our habit. Emmett habitually put the Neon in the garage for us. We forgot he would not be there to do it.

We walked with our most important suitcases up to the cottage door. Then Ben unlocked it, and with a bit of difficulty, lifted me to carry me over the threshhold. He was so cute. He pushed through the door and something fell down on us with a deafening crash. We were both covered in confetti. Someone had set up a metal bucket of it, over the door, rigged to fall when we came in.

When the confetti settled, we looked about in shock. There were a wide variety of objects, some of which I recognized as sexual aids, dotted about the room. There were gaudy bows and inflated coloured condoms everywhere. Marvin Gaye's song, _Sexual Healing_, was playing on the stereo. A driftwood fire was burning in the grate, despite the warmth of the day. And there was a large tray of chocolate dipped strawberries with whipped cream and a bottle of chocolate sauce, sitting on the kitchen counter. Suddenly, we both realized that there was an obviously hard core video playing on Edward's plasma tv.

Ben and I gawped at each other. Edward and Bella would not have done this.

"Who?" we chorused in irritation.

"Emmett?" asked Ben.

"Alice?" asked I.

Suddenly, there were five people standing in the doorway, giggling madly. "Surprise!" they sang with beautiful voices. "Welcome home!"

"It's nice to see you again, Angela. We met at Bella's bachelorette party, remember? I'm Tanya. Please allow me to introduce the Denali Coven." Ben looked at Tanya like she had six heads.

I mouthed at her, making no noise, "Ixnay on the 'coven', he doesn't know." The vampires nodded at me, and then we were being warmly hugged by people we really didn't know. Tanya pointed as she named people: Kate, Garrett, Carmen and Eleazar. Each shook our hands and related their delight to make our acquaintance.

"It's so long since we lived in a town. We have been woefully deprived of human friendship. You can expect to see a lot of us. By the way, your toy drawer was woefully inadequate. We took the liberty of bringing you some welcome home gifts.

"Edward and Bella seem to have left you some gifts of their own. They have hooked up internet access to their fancy mobile phones, and they would like you to use this webcam to talk to them later today. We have read up on how to use it, if you need assistance. The Cullens seem to be pining for you. They are up at our lodge right now, outside Denali.

"Oh, how very ... kind you are," I said. "We are so pleased to meet you all. Edward and Bella have said so much about you, that I feel we know you already."

"Well, come up later to the house and eat dinner there. We would love to get to know you better. The Cullens love you. Anything we can do for you, we would be thrilled to do. Edward said you were to be well-taken-care of. He has left explicit instructions for us to follow. We will come on Fridays to clean your cottage and bring supplies and groceries. I think your main job is to babysit us and keep us out of trouble," the Denalis giggled good-naturedly. "Edward is_ so _old-fashioned. We could not help teasing him, you know, and now he _thinks _we're much worse than we really are."

"Let's hope so," I murmured, eyeing an enormous phallic-shaped object warily.

The Denalis took their leave, and Ben and I gawped after them. Ben hurried to shut off the video. I picked up an oddly-shaped doohickey, turning it this way and that. I held it up to Ben and he shrugged. He had no idea what it was for, either.

We wandered through the cottage. There was a letter from Bella on the door of the walk-in closet, telling us to help ourselves to any clothes we wanted and donate the rest to Goodwill. I panicked. It would take us a month to sort through Alice's wardrobe. I pulled open the door quickly, and sighed in relief. All but one clothing rack was empty. My clothes and Bens's were sorted and hanging neatly on the racks. Our few boxes of possessions, and the wedding gifts, were sitting against the empty side of the closet.

I wondered what was left behind in Renesmee's room. I went and peeked inside. The room had been painted to look like denim. There were boyish pictures on the walls. There was a crib, and a toddler bed, made out of teak, with denim coverlets and pale blue sheets. There was a little white bassinet, and a baby jumper, and some toys. There were piles of baby clothes, all masculine. "Well, something tells me that Alice thinks we are going to have a boy someday." My eyebrows were raised. Ben was looking a little nervous. We exited the room and shut the door. I would have to put dust sheets down to protect everything. We walked back to the bedroom.

Somehow, we had missed it. On the bed, there sat a medium-sized brown leather scrapbook, sealed with a pretty blue ribbon. I sat on the bed and opened it, gently. Ben crawled up beside me and put his arm around me, and we turned the pages. Inside, were pictures of us with all the Cullens. Pictures from the Niagara Trip, including a group picture in the walled garden and one in front of the infamous minibus. Pictures from school. Pictures from casual visits and outings we'd been on. Portraits of the Cullens and Hales and Jacob. Renesmee's baby pictures, with her fake parents. Renesmee with Bella and Edward at various ages. Bella and Edward's wedding and engagement photos. Ticket stubs from the movie that got them into trouble with Charlie. Handwritten notes and poems and one of Edward's homemade CD's. Ben took the CD and put it on. Samples of my wedding dress' fabric and buttons, and pictures from the wedding shower Bella threw for me. All the stories of our life together, bound lovingly up in a testament. We sat there, looking at the sum of our various friendships.

I turned back to the beginning, to look through it again. Inside the front cover was a dedication in Edward's elegant hand: _To my little angel and my best pal, don't forget how much you are loved. Forever, Edward. _After his name, Bella, and each member of the Cullen Coven, plus Jacob and Seth, Leah, Embry and Quill and Jared, had signed for themselves.

"We'd better call them. I don't know what time it is in Denali." Ben said.

"I don't think it will be too much earlier there than it is here." We looked at the webcam instructions.

Soon, we were looking at our friends, trying to crowd into the frame on their end of the line. Everybody was grinning, and we thanked them and exchanged news and joked and laughed and told them about our adventure with the Denali cousins. Edward, Em and Jasper were howling over the surprise gifts. After an hour, there was less to say, and we obtained a promise from the Cullens to talk again soon. They thought they might be moving to Canada, but they were not sure. They would tell us when things were arranged.

After we rang off, we decided to go up to the main house and raid Tanya's fridge. Upon entering, we received a little shock.

The Cullens classy art collection had been replaced with modern nudes in loud colours. The paintings were gigantic, and some were extremely anatomically correct. It was like walking into a high-class brothel. They would have to tone it down if they didn't want Children's Rescue at their door.

I had to take Tanya aside and remind her that Carmen and Eleazar were supposed to act like parents, and they would be in charge of her, Kate and Garrett, and that the human authorities would expect them to raise children decently. They looked at each other like deer in headlights. Clueless. Well, we weren't the only ones who would have to adjust.

Oh, boy. This was going to be interesting. The Denalis had not had very much experience acting out a human charade. They would have to practise on Ben before school started and the three young-looking vamps had to interact with humans on a daily basis.


	14. Chapter 14: A Surprise Visit

**Chapter 14: A Surprise Visit**

**Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit. I own nothing.**

**December 25, 2012**

**Ben's pov**

"Come on, Tanya. Angela has been in the hospital for _weeks_ with the twins. We just want to go home and have a quiet Christmas. No baby shower today. We _haven't _even installed them in their _room_, yet." I stood in the main drive, bickering with the Cullens' zany tenant, begging for sleep. Angela was still in the Neon. She had drifted to sleep on the drive home. The babies were in their carseats, facing the rear window.

The Denali girls had developed a close friendship with my wife, and that was part of the reason that we were now parents of twins at the age of 24. Kate and Tanya's interests had rubbed off a bit on Angela, even though the three girls were about as similar as milk, red wine and vodka.

"I promise you, you will be glad if you bring them in," Tanya begged. "Come _on_, Ben. _Just _for a few minutes, _please_? For _us_? For _Christmas_?" She fluttered those eyes that meant to dazzle me, but I was mostly annoyed. Well, it was Christmas. Time for peace and goodwill. I sighed in resignation.

I grumbled and went to wake Angela. "Hey, my love, Tanya wants us to come in for a minute for Christmas."

Angela groaned. "I guess we should get it over with. They'll be knocking on the cottage door otherwise." Angela rolled out of the Neon. She was wearing old sweats under her winter jacket, and her hair was coming out of its untidy pony tail. She looked tired and drawn. She looked like she needed a solid sleep, and that is what I had been intending to give her.

Angela pulled Theo's baby seat out of the car, and walked around the back of the car to the door of the big house. I grabbed Ethan from the side opposite and followed her in.

"We're not staying long, Tanya. Angela needs sleep."

Angela set the baby seat down. "I'm okay for a few minutes, thank you Ben," she murmured as she kicked off her boots. We started into the living room, and stopped dead. There were ten people sitting there. Ten people that we hadn't seen in two years. The Cullen Clan.

Angela shrieked and threw herself forward into Esme's open arms. Bella and Edward came one to each side of her and she kissed them while still hanging onto Esme. It turned into a group hug. Ang was sobbing.

Jasper, Emmett and Jacob came over to thump me on the back and offer their congratulations. Soon, everyone was making the circuit, shaking hands, hugging, laughing excitedly and saying hello. The Denalis were beaming and clapping with joy. Alice and Rosalie bee-lined for the baby seats and peeked in at the boys.

"Go ahead, get them out," I chuckled. The women folk needed no further encouragement. They unzipped the babies from their snugglies and seatbelts and carried them gently over to the group, _aw_-ing and cooing.

"Look at the hair!" exclaimed Rosalie. "They have nearly as much as Renesmee did. Look Nessie!" Rosalie carried Ethan over to a young lady of about 15 years. Jake was sitting with his arm around her.

There was _no way_ that could be Nessie. She was too tall. As tall as Bella. And too beautiful. "Hey squirt! When did you get so grown up?"

"Trust me, Ben, they grow up way too fast, in more ways than one," Edward eyed me meaningfully. Angela came over and pushed Theo into his arms. Edward expertly moved the baby into his hands and held him up to have a good look at him. Even at five pounds, Theo looked miniscule in those long-fingered hands. Just think how he would have looked there five weeks ago, when he weighed 3 and a half pounds!

"Look at that spiky black hair. Spitting image of you, Ben, but not as neat and tidy, and a lot more wrinkled. We need to get some meat on you, junior. Well, you poor little guy, I take it you are the kid that got named after me. Uncle Edward will try not to be too much of an embarrassment to you." Theo chose that moment to loudly fill his diaper.

Edward chuckled delightedly and tried to pass him to me. I said I thought he should change him, since Theo had directed the jobby at him. "_Oh_, no! I know how to clean up after girls, not boys. Ask somebody who will do the job right. Besides, he's too little. I don't want to hurt him." Rosalie came and whisked the baby away.

Everybody had a good time mauling the babies, and then Alice started passing us presents. Each member of the Cullen family had brought a special gift for each member of my family, and the cousins. The Denalis also had gifts for everyone. Ang and I felt badly. We did not have anything to give. We had been spending all our time at the hospital. Edward caught our chagrinned look.

"The only thing we wanted for Christmas was to see you, Ben. Don't you go buying us anything. There's nothing we need but family time."

Alice said, "Hear, hear!" as she flitted about the room taking pictures.

Tanya brought us snacks, and Angela had to go upstairs and nurse the babies after a couple of hours. She brought Ethan back down, and Esme carried Theo for her. Angela yawned as she sat down next to Bella.

Everyone regarded her with concern. "You know what, my dears, I hate to break up the party, but we are supposed to be at Charlie's in La Push right now, and he's going to eat _us _for Christmas dinner if we get there too late and spoil his turkey," Bella said.

"Oh, do you _really_ have to go?" sighed Angela.

"I'm afraid so. But we have so enjoyed seeing you and meeting the babies. It has been a real blast." Bella started for the door. A mass exodus commenced.

"How long are you in town?" I asked.

"Sorry Ben, but I must be back at work on the 27th," said Carlisle.

"You came all the way from Muskoka, Ontario for _two days_?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, we had to fly in to see Charlie. Sorry, Ben. We have to get back. Work obligations. Maybe when the babies are bigger, you can come and stay with us for awhile," Edward suggested.

"Do you promise?" Angela demanded.

"You bet. Now, my little angel, come and kiss me goodbye, and don't you two forget how much you are loved." Edward released Ang and hugged me, and slapped me on the back. Then, he tickled each baby under the chin and the Cullens went out and got in their cars, waving and calling as they drove away.

Angela and I bundled up the babies and stepped out into the crisp, clean air. Because the ground was growing slippery, Eleazar and Garrett came with us to walk home to the cottage. They carried the kids, and I carried the diaper bag and the borrowed wash basket which was full of gifts. They set the babies down on the doorstep, wished us a Merry Christmas, and departed.

It certainly had been a good day. We stepped into the house, and Angela gasped.

There was a fresh fire burning in the hearth, and Bing Crosby was playing on the stereo. There was an enormous Christmas tree standing in front of the sitting room window, replete with twinkling lights and shiny decorations. The room smelled of pine, cinnamon, apple and popcorn. _Everyone_ must have pitched in to give us a terrific Christmas. How the _heck_ had they done it? We'd _been _with them all throughout most of the afternoon.

We turned toward the kitchen. A small turkey had been left to cook in the oven, and it would be ready in a half an hour according to Esme's note. A big tin of fresh gingerbread cookies was on the counter, and there was a pot of cooked mashed potatoes on the stove, and giblet gravy was simmering away on the back burner.

A slow cooker was sitting on the counter. It was full of simmering apple cider. A bread machine was there, too, with a loaf of whole wheat bread steaming inside. Angela looked in the fridge, and found a pumpkin pie and a container of whipped cream and a dish of cranberry sauce and one of fresh-whipped butter creamed with strawberry.

Angela would have to eat certain foods sparingly or they would affect her milk, but what an unexpected gourmet treat this was for us.

Two little tv tables had been set up in front of the couch, complete with small, white linen table cloths and napkins, crystal glasses, silver cutlery and plates. There was a card on one plate, addressed to Ang.

"Let's go see if we can get the babies to sleep in the crib." Angela whispered. We tiptoed back to their new room and stopped dead again. Everything of which there had been _one_, there were now_ two_. Two bassinettes. Two cribs, two jumpers, two toddler beds. Only one change table, and rocker. Many, many more baby clothes. We slid the babies gently into their bassinettes, and crept out.

Angela rushed over and opened the card. In Edward's hand, it read, _Dear Ang, Ben, Theo and Ethan, __you are always in our hearts. Love,the Cullens, the Hales, the Denalis, the Swans, the Clearwaters, and the Blacks. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012!_ Every person had added their own signature and a personal message. There was barely any whiteness visible on the large surface of the card. Angela put the card on the Christmas tree, like an ornament, and propped it open so it could be read easily. Her eyes glistened.

Angela and I said grace together, thanking God for kind friends, good family, innumerable blessings and healthy babies. Then, we ate until we were stuffed. We danced to Bing. We cuddled on the couch in the dark and admired the Christmas Tree while we listened to favourite Cds, including the one Edward had left for us two years ago. The babies actually slept for _four hours_ before demanding attention.

It was the best Christmas ever. I wondered when the Cullens would get together with us again.


	15. Chapter 15: Nessie in Trouble

**Chapter 15: Nessie in Trouble**

**A tribute to the works of Stephenie Meyer. All belongs to her.**

**November 30, 2013**

**Angela's pov**

Ben and I sat before the computer, waiting for the webcall to connect. It was our habit to talk to the Cullens once a week. Sometimes, we called on a whim and not everyone was home, but usually it was a Saturday, and we were able to talk to all of them.

Bella and Edward were settled on an old farm property in the Muskokas. It had been languishing out in the bush and whatever shelter was there, had needed to be torn down. The family had built some kind of huge lodge, designed by Esme, out in the middle of nowhere. From pictures, it looked like an oversized log cabin. It was big enough to house all the Cullens and Jake's pack (including their mates), and had a huge common room and kitchen and even a hospital room.

Because it was remote, so far the Cullens had gotten away with staying out of school. The younger wolves, Embry, Quill and Jared, went to a high school that was within their running range. Leah and Jacob were taking online college courses. Leah was studying to be a physiotherapist. Jake was acing auto mechanics, and he was taking a minor in art, of all things. I assumed the Cullens were tutoring him and fostering his interests.

The entire coven seemed to be thriving under the communal conditions. The wolf pack was getting well-fed and well-educated, Esme was mothering everyone, and the vampires were enjoying having kids around, like Kim and Jared's baby, and Claire and her baby brother. Yes, Sam and Emily were there too. Paul was temporarily in charge down at LaPush.

The only missing member of Jake's pack was Seth. He was still living at home with Sue. She had not wanted to move away from LaPush, and she was not going to let vampires raise him. Since he was close to his mother, and got along swimmingly with Charlie, Seth wasn't complaining. After high school, he would join the commune in Canada.

Nessie, of course, could not go to school due to her rapid aging. She would do high school after she had matured, so she had a free ride for the moment. I had finally had to tell Ben the half-truth: that she suffered from the rare condition that plagued the Cullens, and that it made her develop at a faster rate than normal. That said, Ben thought she was a 14 year old suffering from a case of early puberty, not a 7 year old suffering from the coming onslaught of vampirism. How we were going to keep the secret from Ben much longer was beyond me.

The call picked up, and suddenly Bella was grinning at me with Edward and Alice peeking over her shoulders. We got through the usual pleasantries, and Ben scooped up Ethan and Theo, who were busy running around the sitting room, bellowing delightedly, and dangled them in front of the webcam long enough for everyone to admire them.

Ben sat back down with me, releasing the rugrats to resume their running, and we chatted amiably with the members of Bella's family, as they took turns in ones and twos in front of their camera. We had been visiting for almost two hours, when Bella said they needed to get going. Apparently, there was a hunting trip in the works.

"Hey, wait!" I said, "I haven't talked to Nessie in a couple of months. Has she stopped speaking to me?" Bella and Edward exchanged a loaded look. Edward sat down beside Bella. He looked a little angry, and blew his breath out like he was frustrated. It took him a moment to compose himself. My alarm bells started to go off.

Edward looked me in the eye and made his confession. "Nessie hasn't been socializing lately. We've been having some ... difficulties with her." My eyebrows were on the ceiling. Nessie adored her family. Her father, in particular.

"Nessie is pregnant," Edward said curtly.

"Oh ... my." I gulped. Beside me, Ben gasped. The twins were making so much racket that we were having trouble hearing. Ben excused himself, and took them into their room for a wrestling match. I would fill him in later.

"We should have seen it coming, considering how unique her development is. It's not like we were unprepared for her to be ... active with Jacob. We had those kind of talks with her years before she even got close to being mature. Everything was going fine and she was happy, but then about six months ago, Carlisle told Nessie that her body would probably freeze when she hits maturity. I guess she and Jacob wanted to make sure they had a family before she had the chance to go sterile.

"They didn't say _anything_ to you about their plans?"

"We didn't even get a hint, and they didn't waste any time getting started. Both of them are pretty good at concealing their thoughts from me."

"So where are they? Did they leave home?"

Bella shook her head vigorously, "Oh, no. They're both here, and pretty much forgiven, but we are worried because we don't know what to expect. Nessie's birth didn't go so well. Look at what happened to me. Everything is going to be hit and miss. 'Best guess' is the order of the day on how to care for her and the baby."

"So far, Ness is coping much better with carrying the child than Bella did. Nessie's much stronger than Bella was, and of course my DNA is more diluted. What Jake's DNA will contribute is the next question The baby seems to be developing at a slower pace than Nessie did, and Ness is healthy and not in any pain. The membrane of the fetal sack, however, is just impenetrable, unlike the one Renesmee developed in. So we don't know what we're dealing with."

"Wow, I hardly know what to say."

Edward and Bella exchanged a wry glance. "Welcome to the club!" he said with an eye roll.

Bella looked away from her computer. "Renesmee and Jacob are coming down. Still want to speak to her?"

"Sure."

A second later, Jacob said hello and plopped himself down in the chair Edward had vacated. Nessie climbed into the chair on the left where her mother had been sitting. As she manoeuvered into it, her belly took up the entire screen. She looked about 10 months pregnant. I wondered when she was due.

"Well, there's no hiding _that!_" I teased. "I guess congratulations are in order. Wow! I can't believe you got this past Edward and Alice. That alone deserves a commendation!" I smiled.

The kids gave me a chagrinned smile. "Actually, Auntie Lis was in on it. She gave us a big warning before we went through with our plan. It's a _miracle_ Dad is still speaking to her," said Renesmee with an eyeroll. She looked so much like her father when she did that.

"Well, maybe he wanted to be a grandfather more than he was letting on." Nessie's curls bounced prettily as she conceded the point.

"Good thing your 'Dad' likes you, Jacob," I smirked.

"Oh, Edward had years to get used to the idea that I would probably be his son-in-law someday. Not that Nahuel didn't do his best to scupper the plan, but this was pretty inevitable, 'cause I'm too irresistable." Jacob chuckled and squirmed in his seat.

"Braggart!" Edward growled from somewhere out of sight.

"The day Ben came back to me, I can still remember Edward putting his arm around Ben and telling us to come and eat some food before you, his '_son_', could gobble it all up. I didn't understand at the time."

Edward peeked down over his kids' heads at me, "Well, I knew I'd have to adjust, so I always called Jacob 'son', but I didn't _mean_ to let it slip out in front of you. See how trustworthy you are? And you wonder why I call you my Little Angel! Bella's sort of always been my Archangel, but you protected her, and now you protect all of _us_ as well."

"Just doing my job, keeping fellow Christians and misfits safe. Speaking of which, the Denalis have been going to church with me lately." I grinned, anticipating Edward's reaction.

"In the name of all that's holy! What is up with_ that_? Are they _scaring_ your congregation?" Edward demanded as he and Bella and their kids gawped at me.

"Let's just say that there have been some interesting reactions and interactions. For example, Garrett asked a very unwelcome question about the value of monogamy in modern society. There was a stampede to Dad's office. However, my dad has told any busybody who complains, that Jesus did not hesitate to spend time with sinners."

"Oh, I would love to be a fly on the wall sometimes," Edward shook his head in disbelief. "You must keep us apprised. We don't want them to have to be relocated for drawing attention to themselves."

"Yes, well their generous tithing seems to be welcome, and they are assisting in young people's programs, so most people are being patient with their lack of morals. They are, after all, otherwise likeable individuals and their naivete about human culture is strangely endearing. Incidentally, I have managed to get them to remove the grotty anal intercourse painting from the living room wall in case any humans drop by, but I suspect it is still on display in one of their bedrooms."

Bella and Edward stared at each other, open-mouthed.

"You may reform them yet!" Edward stated. Bella nodded.

"I doubt it, but they might be more tactful in front of humans in the future."

"Thank Heaven for small mercies. _That_, I will _have _to see, someday," Edward chuckled.

"Well, you _could_ come and see it," I hinted.

"Not now. Maybe in a year or two. I think you and the fam' should come and see us, next."

"I'll look forward to it."


	16. Chapter 16: Muskoka

**Chapter 16: Muskoka**

**Stephenie's, not mine.**

**February 13, 2014**

**Angela's pov**

Valentine's Day was fast approaching, and by evening, we were all packed and ready to go. The Denalis, ever-enthusiastic, had loaded us up with small gifts for the Cullens. The Denalis had promised to behave themselves while we were away. They were having a sauna and outdoor jaccuzzi installed while Ben and I were in Muskoka.

A large package had arrived at Christmas, bearing four first class plane tickets, a voucher to cover freight for extra suitcases, and a matching set of luggage for the children. We were thrilled.

Ben was under the impression that the Cullens suffered from a rare medical condition, that did strange things to their skin and eyes and internal organs. He was prepared to find that they would not look any older than they did on the day we got married.

I spent the day packing the last few items we would need, and the four of us went to bed early. It was a shock when the VOIP phone rang at 4 am. Ben answered it shakily. Was somebody dead?

"Okaaay," Ben said in response to whoever was calling. He went out to the sitting room and flipped on the computer and the webcam. A few moments later, Bella and Edward's grinning faces came onscreen. There was a lot of noisy talk and music in the background. It sounded like a party. Of course, it was probably 'afternoon' in Muskoka.

"Twins!" Edward and Bella shouted together. I fell into the chair, gobsmacked. A delighted smile broke over my face and I squealed with excitement.

"Cool!" Ben enthused, "Welcome to the club!"

"Girls or boys?" I demanded.

"Girls. Wanna see?" Edward looked at me coyly.

"Yes! _Now_!" I ordered.

Carlisle passed one tiny, wriggling infant to Edward and one identical such to Bella. The babies were adorable, with heads of hair like a couple of black fluffy dandelions. Edward held up the first infant, "This is Charlotte Rose Cullen Black, 4 pounds, eight ounces, 16 inches long and very _demanding _for somebody who's only 30 minutes old," he announced. "They're calling her Lottie."

"And who's this?" I asked, pointing at Bella's other granddaughter.

"This is Valentine Alyssa Cullen Black, 4 pounds, 6 ounces, 15 and a half inches long, and very _competitive_ for somebody who's only 28 minutes old," Bella laughed. "They're calling her Tina."

"I love it. And how are the parents faring?"

"Well, Jacob is naturally over the moon and totally full of himself, but he's a little anxious for Nessie. She fell asleep right after the birth and her body temperature immediately dropped. Her heart rate is changing and we can't wake her. We assume her body is freezing. We will have to monitor her very carefully for the next few days, but everything seems pretty normal, based on our history. She might be in isolation when you arrive, though," Edward cautioned.

"Well, hopefully she will be awake before we leave. Oh, I can't _wait_ for morning!"

"Yes, we're eager to see you, too. The rugrats here can't wait to meet the boys. You should hear Claire!" Bella said.

"How are all the Cullens and Hales?"

"Just as you would expect. You can hear them partying with the Quileutes. We are all on cloud nine, and certain of us are fighting over the infants already." Edward kind of giggled. How out of character!

"Alice and Rose?" I guessed.

"And Esme, and Bella, and Carlisle and me."

"Then who is keeping you all in order? All the usual leaders have entered the fray."

"Jacob, Leah and Sam." A typical, wry eyeroll ensued.

"Ah. Well, I had best let you get back to it. Thanks for calling. See you in a few hours," I gushed. Edward waggled his fingers at the lens and confiscated both babies.

"We can't wait to see you. Rose and Alice will pick you up at the airport in the minibus, and drive you here. We have carseats, so don't bother packing any," Bella advised.

"Awesome. _Wait_! You still have the _minibus_?"

"Well, we have so many people here that it became useful to have one. It's not the same one we took to Niagara, sadly, but it's quite similar. Same size and number of seats. Rosalie and Jacob modified it for us and gave it a custom paint job. It has a tv and a DVD player and a powered cooler for long trips, and the seats are like you'd find in a Greyhound. They recline and everything."

"You guys are amazing. I can hardly wait to see your place, Grandma."

"I always said Esme was a genius. And go easy on the 'Grandma' will you? I haven't adjusted yet. Neither has Charlie."

"Edward has," I teased.

"Edward has been old _forever_. His family is just catching up and making him reveal his true age. Fortunately, he is totally blissed out, and you can hear him thanking God under his breath about every 2 minutes."

We laughed, and Ben looked a little perplexed.

"See you shortly, Little Angel. Don't forget how much all of you are loved," Bella grinned cheekily and wiggled her eyebrows as she quoted Edward's usual line to me.

"We will never be _allowed _toforget that, and same back atcha, Archangel!" I returned.

We said goodbye and I sat, smiling, in front of the computer as I shut it down. Then, I thanked God for the mythical creatures who taught me so much about what it meant to be human. And I thanked Him that the babies were strong and well, and that Nessie appeared to be safe and on the road to recovery.

Then, I called Charlie and Billy and congratulated them on becoming a great-grandfather and a grandfather, respectively, before they were even 50 years old. They, like me, were too hyped up to sleep.

I looked at the clock, counting the minutes restlessly until we could leave for the airport in Seattle. Suddenly, the Denalis were at our front door, making me jump. I guess they'd had a vid-call, too. We sat and celebrated, and they handed me a couple of gifts for the babies. How was it that they were _always_ prepared with gifts that were _always_ thoughtful, if _not_ always socially appropriate?

I jumped up. I needed gifts! I went to my closet and unloaded the pristine girl clothes that had been gifted to me before the boys were born, and hurriedly stuffed them in two large gift bags, grabbed the card I'd bought months ago, signed it, and put everything in a spare suitcase.

Shortly, it was time to depart. The Denalis helped us load the Neon with the luggage and the kids. There was barely room to breathe. Then, we kissed and hugged everyone but Kate goodbye and they wished us Godspeed. Kate squished herself into the back seat, between the boys. She's be bringing the Neon back from the airport for us.

Yes, I prayed God would speed us to the Cullens, and see us safely home again.


	17. Chapter 17: The Cullen Ranch

**Chapter 17: The Cullen Ranch**

**Stephenie's, not mine. Please, no sue.**

**This chapter is kind of a bridge between the one prior and the one following. There will be more action in the next chapter, so keep reading.**

**Review, please:D**

**Ben's pov**

The plane touched down softly on the frosty tarmac, and I heaved a sigh of relief. Our toddlers had whined through almost the entire trip. Their doctor had warned us that the pressure in the cabin might do bad things to their ears. Some people even got ear infections after flying, and our kids were so little that they didn't do well with the changes in cabin pressure. They were too little to chew gum, so we'd given them about 50 suckers, but most of the suckers had ended up on the floor or in Ang's hair. Little goo had ended up inside the kids.

It was a shame they'd been upset, because otherwise the flight would have been fun. I'd flown once before, to visit my Dad's extended family in Florida, and I liked it, but we'd only flown business class. The Cullens had bought first class tickets for us, and we had bucket seats that reclined, and plenty of leg room. Had the kids settled down, we would have been able to enjoy the ride in comfort.

Ang, with her endless patience, was looking serenely out the window. She clapped and squealed excitedly to the boys when the plane coasted to a halt.

Getting off the plane in Toronto with two fussy, sticky toddlers and six suitcases, plus a diaper bag, was interesting, to say the least. We had put the boys on kiddie leashes so we could manage everything without losing them. They were so glad to walk, after 4 hours of sitting still, that they were cheerful, but they kept running to the end of their leashes and nearly pulling us over.

Providentially, there was a very understanding customs agent waiting at the line of counters. She opened a new wicket and beckoned us through. Some people in the lineups scowled because we jumped the line, but others looked relieved. They seemed to understand that it would not be pleasant to stand in line with two tired ankle biters for an extended period of time.

We hauled our belongings up the escalators, which was not fun with toddlers, let me tell you, and made our way to the reception area. The Pearson Airport was a hive of activity. Quite an attractive building, with restaurants and lots of shops and facilities.

Finally, there was Rosalie Cullen, gorgeous as ever, jiggling up and down and clapping her hands. She came over and kissed us both. Boy, Ang was right about her circulation. Rosalie's hands were freezing, even though she was wearing a buckskin parka. She bent down with shining eyes to greet the boys, who were thoroughly charmed. Usually, Theo and Evan were shy with people they didn't know well, but Rosalie had them eating out of her hands withing seconds. The teddy bears and small toy planes that she presented were probably what did the trick.

Rosalie stood back up and appraised us. "Wow, do you guys ever travel _light!_"

I couldn't believe she thought this truckload of unnecessary crap was light. Ang had even brought a suitcase that was full of gifts. Rosalie must live on a different planet from me.

"You must be tired. Let's go and get the boys changed, and you can tidy up. Then, I'm treating you to lunch. Ben, perhaps you can sit with the luggage while Ang and I change the boys, and then I'll sit with it while you take a turn, okay?"

"Sounds, great Rosalie. Thank you," I said wearily.

The ladies took the little guys in the bathroom, diaper bag and fresh clothing in hand, and I sat beside the mountain of luggage and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, Rosalie was gently tapping me on the shoulder.

"Come on, sleepyhead. You'll have plenty of time to nap on the car ride. It's nearly a two hour drive. Go and freshen up, and then we can get some food into everyone." I smiled appreciatively and got up on my tired feet.

Rosalie grabbed a few pieces of luggage, and asked the boys to grab onto the handles of the suitcases. Ang had removed the harnesses and leashes, I noticed. Rose led the way to a nice, bright sit-down restaurant not too far from the departure terminals. I ordered a burger and fries, Ang ordered a chicken Caesar wrap, and the boys split an order of mac and cheese. Rosalie said that she had already eaten, and only ordered a drink for herself.

We filled Rose in about our trip, and when the boys finished eating before the grown-ups, Rose introduced them to the joys of colouring. She kept a diligent eye on them, and only Theo managed to swallow a piece of one crayon. I wondered if his poop would be blue.

When our meal was finished, Rose got up and helped us to assemble the luggage. She had a warning for us.

"It's a fair walk to the Bat-mobile, sorry. Better get the kids into their snowsuits."

"The _what_?!" I said with confusion.

"Well, we wanted to call the minibus something, so the kids voted and that name emerged victorious. Inside joke, don't worry about it."

It was, indeed, a long walk to the Bat-mobile. There were a lot of elevated roads leading to and from the parking lots and the terminals. It was an engineering marvel, and the clover leaves looked like a giant bowl of fettuccine. There was a ton of traffic, both on the ground and in the air.

Finally, we reached the Bat-mobile It had a custom paint job, with pictures of contented-looking wolves walking through hushed timber. Inside, there were two rows of double seats, fancy high-backs like you find in a touring bus, and a TV and DVD player at the front. There were five rows of seats inside.

"Wow. Who painted this, Rosalie?" Ang asked.

"Alice and Esme sketched out the pictures, and Jacob airbrushed them on. It was part of his last art course. That's why he took art. He wants his own mechanic shop, with custom paint jobs. He and I refurbished the bus. We didn't want bench seating. Because the ranch is so remote, we take the young people on outings and good transport is essential."

Baggage stowed, Rosalie and I buckled Theo and Ethan into the waiting car seats, and Ang and I climbed into the pair of seats kitty-corner to Rose's driving chair. She pulled the doors shut and turned on the TV for the boys, who squealed delightedly when they discovered they could watch "Bob the Builder" on the car ride. Rosalie pulled onto Highway 400 East, heading for Barrie, Ontario. She drove expertly, as befitted a car enthusiast.

"So exactly where are we going, Rose?" I enquired.

"Well, we're not exactly easy to find on a map, Ben. The ranch is kind of at the centre of a bulls eye between Parry Sound, Port Carling and Huntsville. We follow this highway north as far as Bracebridge, then we turn north west toward Port Carling. After that, it's back roads all the way up to the ranch. Some of the roads aren't even paved. If you're lucky, you'll see some moose and deer today," she enthused.

"Wow. Doesn't it worry you, living out in the wilderness?"

"It's no wilder than Forks, really Ben. We used to come across mountain lions and grizzlies when we camped in the Olympic Rainforest."

The farther north we travelled, the more red, rocky outcroppings appeared alongside the road. Combined with the deep snow, it was very beautiful. It was saved from looking stark by the thousands of pine trees jutting up out of the landscape.

"We're into the Canadian Shield now," Rosalie informed us. You will see a lot more rock faces. They were carved by the glaciers. There are amethyst mines up around Parry Sound. We should take you to one before you go home. You can step out on the stones and pick up your own geode or amethyst right off the ground. It's really interesting."

As we drove on, the girls chattered cheerfully, and the boys nodded off to the chatter of the cartoons. Rose turned down the volume on the TV and put on some music for us. When we got north of Bracebridge, and started travelling up Highway 11, a line of opposing cars passed us, each flashing its lights. Rose waved at each vehicle.

"Wow, folks around here are sure friendly," I marvelled.

"You're right, but that's not why they're flashing us," Rose smiled. "Somewhere up ahead, there is a _moose_ blocking the road. They can be quite aggressive. Trust me, hitting a moose would _not _be a good idea. People alert each other by flashing their lights." We moved along for a few minutes.

"Oh, look, there he is!" Rose pointed excitedly. "I wish Emmett were here. He just loves moose. Isn't that fellow funny-looking?" she laughed.

I turned my head to see where she was pointing. Right in the middle of the road stood a male moose as tall, or taller than, our vehicle. His antlers would easily have covered our entire windshield. I bet he weighed a thousand pounds. Traffic was stopped dead in both directions. The moose eyed the line of vehicles balefully. Ang got out our camera and snapped pictures of him. No way was that moose planning on moving. Somebody tried honking at him, and he just stood there with his nose in the air. Then, he dropped a big load of poop in the road, and condescended to move back into the woods. Traffic resumed.

Once we were past Port Carling, Rosalie turned off north. There were sections of farmland interspersed with sections of forest. It all looked the same. Rose made several turns until it was too complex for me to follow. Soon, the asphalt gave way to gravel. The ride became bumpier, but the shocks in the minibus must have been pretty good, because we weren't jounced around too badly. Theo and Evan snored on.

Eventually, Rose slowed, "We're here," she said brightly, turning off into a long driveway. She hopped out of the vehicle and opened a farm gate. There was a sign beside the driveway that said, 'Welcome to the Cullen Ranch, Retreat of the Olympic Quileutes'. Rose climbed back into her seat, drove through the gate, and got back out to close it. She drove on. Within 10 feet of the gate, an enormous, frightening, carved wooden figure leered over the road.

"Hey, isn't that Apotampkin?" I asked.

"That's right. He's here to warn off those who mean to harm our loved ones," Rosalie explained.

"He doesn't quite seem to fit in with the Cullen ideals," Angela mused.

"No, but he was a gift from the Wolf People. We couldn't refuse him. It's become sort of a joke."

The Bat-mobile crawled along the icy road. Once we turned the curve, our jaws dropped in amazement.

A huge patch of cleared land, presently buried in snow, appeared. It was dwarfed by a massive, three storey log house. In front of the lodge were several carved totem poles. Behind it, to one side, was a children's play yard, completely fenced in, with a wooden climber half-buried in snow. To the left, sat a huge garage. In front of it was a pick-up truck with a snowplow blade on the front. A mountain of ploughed snow sat nearby. The tracks of toboggans were visible upon it. To the right of the house stood a big barn. Behind the barn, a gigantic white windmill turned in the cold wind. Solar panels decorated the roof of the lodge and the outbuildings. The massive patch of land was edged by coniferous forest on all sides, and uprooted stumps of trees created a fence line around the cleared area.

"Holy cow! How much did this cost?!" I demanded rudely. Rosalie chuckled.

"Not much, to be honest. We have a lot of strong young people here. We built the house ourselves to Esme's specifications. The hardest part was clearing the land and digging the foundation. We are off the grid, as far as power goes. The cost of the solar panels and the windmill will be recouped within a couple of years."

"How many people do you have here?" Ang asked curiously.

"Well, there's our family of twelve, plus the Quileutes who run with Jacob. Jacob is family, so they decided to follow him here. We're really all family now, I guess. The number of Quileutes fluctuates. Some of them only come here for a couple of months a year, and then they go back home to La Push. Let's see. Right now we have Sam, Emily, Claire and Alex, and Kim, Jared and Nelda, and Quill, Embry and Leah. So how many is that? Ten Quileutes, and twelve of us. Twenty four. Billy, Seth, Sue and Charlie are joining us when Seth goes on Spring Break. Sam's family goes home to La Push next week. So there is usually around the same number of people here, give or take a few."

"How do you take care of all those people?" I wondered.

"Everybody pitches in with the work. We grow our own crops in the summer. There's good growing soil under the snow in front of the house, and three more fields out back. We have 18 acres here. There were three abandoned farms that we snapped up. We have a small orchard out back as well, just enough to feed a variety of fruit to everyone. We have to buy certain things that we can't grow, like grapes and strawberries, but we grow almost everything else. We trade our goods with the locals for things like milk and cheese, flour and sugar. It's like being a Pioneer.

"Jacob and I maintain the vehicles and the farm equipment. Quill is going to train to be a tree specialist, and Embry is interested in studying farming. We sent some of our family to work at Sainte Marie Among the Hurons last year, and they learned how to tan hides. Since the Quileutes qualify as native peoples in Canada, they are allowed special hunting and fishing rights. We are careful not to take more than we need, and since the young people now tan hides, we don't waste much from the animals we eat. Alice has taught us to make some of our clothing and we make things to sell.

"In the nice weather, we farm, hunt, tan hides and build things. In the winter, we sew. Esme home schools Claire when she's here, and we all take turns babysitting the infants. Esme is also in charge of the kitchen. Carlisle lectures the young people on European history, Jasper teaches them American History and Edward tutors them in science and music. Emmett has a wood shop out back. He trains anyone who wants to learn to make furniture and toys. We sometimes bring in an elder to teach about local native cultures and woodcarving. Everything works together very well, and every person here serves a fulfilling purpose."

"Sounds Utopian," Ang commented.

Rose snickered, "Hardly. You haven't seen how we bicker. And it can get quite noisy at times. Getting privacy is a challenge. It's hard to find a quiet place to be alone, and everybody knows everybody else's business. But, overall, it's fun and we're hoping to make the place self-sustaining in case we ever have to leave the Quileutes alone here."

I wondered why the Cullens would move the Quileutes so far from home, and then leave them. Why did they leave Forks, anyway? I guessed it was none of my business, but they _were _Americans, weren't they? Why would they move to Canada?

"I expect you're wondering why we moved here. Well, Esme got asked to restore some historical houses in Huntsville, and Carlisle was asked to run a hospital in Bracebridge. When they visited the area, it appealed to them to spend a few years here. Since all their kids have their own families now, they didn't feel guilty doing it. But somehow, we're all still tied to our parents, and we decided to move here, too. Then Jacob included himself, and then his pack didn't want to be left behind, and we thought we'd best figure out a way to live as a group. This property was ideal, even though it means a bit of a commute for everyone's work."

Jacob's pack? What an odd way to refer to somebody's friends.

I was distracted from these thoughts by a young girl, who came running out the door as Rosalie stopped the Bat-mobile in front of the house. This was a little girl of approximately ten years of age. She ran out in her suede coat and slippers, and skidded to a stop beside the bus, jumping up and down and clapping her hands with glee. By the time we had the side door open, our friends were heading out to greet us and my attention was caught by Edward and Bella. The child pulled on my arm, to get my attention.

"Hi, I'm Claire. Where are Theo and Evan? I want to play with them. At last, some kids who aren't babies. It's hard with no kids here sometimes, you know, even if everyone does love me. I want to go home to La Push. We're going next week. But until then, can I play with your kids?" Claire fluttered gorgeous, long eyelashes at me.

"Of course you can play with them, Claire. When they wake up, okay?"

By this time, the Cullens had reached Ang and kissed her 'hello'. Edward reached to pat me on the shoulder. He looked down and addressed Claire.

"Sweetie, let Ben breathe. Please go and tell Grandma Esme and Grandad Carlisle that our friends have arrived." Claire scooted into the house, her long black hair trailing behind her, bellowing for the senior members of the clan. Edward chuckled, and then looked at me quietly through his strange amber eyes. "She never stops talking," he confided with a crooked grin.

"You don't look a day older, Edward. Life must be good," I marvelled.

"Life is better than I ever dreamed, Ben. We are very blessed. Let's get you all inside. It's _freezing_ out here." Edward turned and called into the house, "Emmett? Jasper? Would you kindly come and help with the luggage?" Then, his brothers barrelled out the door to shake hands with us enthusiastically. Emmett swung Angela around in a circle with a woo-hoo. Nothing changed, there.

Bella had wrangled Evan out of his car seat, and he was still out like a light with his face tucked into her shoulder. Rosalie took Theo from Ang, claiming Mommy needed her hands free to say hello. Theo regarded Rosalie cautiously, content to be held so long as she did not step too far away from Mom. Edward ushered us into his home.

Ang and I stopped dead inside the doorway. The building was nothing like we expected. We stepped into a main room, rather like a hotel lobby. There were several doors leading to other rooms, around the walls. One had a sign over it that said it was 'Esme's Kitchen'.

There was a sort of a dais beside the main entrance, with an upright piano on it, and a podium. The cross that was used in Edward and Bella's wedding stood to one side of the dais In the right corner of the room, there was a friendly-looking totem.

At the far end of the room was a huge, stone, wood-burning fireplace in which a merry fire was roaring. A floor-to-ceiling window flanked the fireplace on each side. The long wall to our right was lined with hundreds of books, and a huge LCD TV hung in the middle of the wall.

There were four staircases running up the corners of the space. On the second and third floors, there were doors facing into the main space. A railing made of logs ran around the second and third floors. A vaulted ceiling rose up to the rafters. Three big antler-covered chandeliers dangled down from the middle of the roof, and there were matching sconces on the walls. Everything was made of honey-coloured, highly polished wood. The building seemed huge.

Alice Hale came dancing down the stairs, squealing with excitement. She kissed both of my cheeks, then moved on to kiss Ang. "Ooh, look at the boys! They're not babies anymore. Let's get them out of those snowsuits, shall we? We'll have to play out in the snow with them later. Toddlers in snowsuits are so funny. If they fall over, they can't get up," she grinned. You'd think she'd never been around babies before.

Edward ushered me through the door to my left. Just outside the door was a huge message board, decorated with memos and personal greetings and some humourous graffiti. Through the door was a walk-in closet, with varying sections labelled for all the people who lived there. Boot trays lined the floor under the closet rods, and on top of the rod shelves were baskets for mittens and hats, each labelled with a name. Edward pointed out the section where my family's outerwear was to be kept. Wow. We even had little wooden plaques with our names on. The Cullens sure knew how to go over the top to make you feel welcome.

"Here," said Edward, handing me a pair of new moccasins, "Leave your boots on the tray, and then come through to the main room." I did as I was bid, and walked back out into the main space. I enjoyed the cushy feeling of the slippers, wriggling my tired toes into the fleecy insoles.

Emmett and Jasper competed to be the first to get our large suitcases up to the third storey. Between them, they carried all six at once. They bantered back and forth about who would get to the room first. Jasper won by a hair. We heard his muffled crow, and Emmett's curse.

"Careful boys! Don't break anything," called Bella, shaking her head and rolling her golden eyes. Hey, didn't they used to be brown? Oh, part of her husband's condition, that she now shared. Brave Bella. Of course she loved him, and that was all that mattered to her, not her health.

I looked around me, taking in the details. The doors were painted forest green. There were several couches and a game table scattered about the room. The couches were of a natural-coloured leather. The leather was all the same, but the style of each couch was different. I wondered if the Cullens had taken old pieces and reupholstered them. I bet they had.

On the walls were photographs and paintings that I itched to have a good look at. A lot of them seemed to be of wolves. Others were pictures of the family. My family stood and rubbernecked.

"Oh, Bella. This is a wonderful place. Perfect for all of you. Now I understand why you moved here," Ang gushed.

"It's been a lot of work, but we're pretty happy with it now," said Bella.

Claire ran down one of the back staircases and bee-lined across the main room toward us. She slid across the floor in her moccasins, and pirouetted gracefully to a halt in front of the boys, bending over to look them in the eye. Evan and Theo clung to their new teddy bears shyly, and buried their faces against Ang's jean-clad legs.

"Look, here!" said Claire brightly. "I have a game. I made these beanbags all by myself. Uncle Em made me a board with a hole in it to throw them through. See, you can throw these. They're all squashy. Come on, Theo, come on, Evan. You can play with me." The boys looked at each other, and looked at their mother and me.

"Go on," Ang encouraged them. The boys toddled after Claire in their tiny new slippers. She was still chattering at them about her games.

Jasper came flitting down the stairs at the speed of light. Emmett grabbed onto the second storey railing and vaulted over it, swinging himself down to land in a graceful crouch on the floor of the main room. He straightened up with a gloating look. Jasper said, "Aww," and hung his head in disappointment. Emmett had beaten him back downstairs.

"Hey! Guys? Gear it down, would you _please_?" Bella begged with a meaningful look. Her brothers in law nodded and went to occupy themselves with a PlayStation.

"So it seems kind of quiet, Edward. Where is everybody?" I asked.

"You'll have to excuse them, Ben. Carlisle and Esme are at work. Embry, Quill, Jared and Leah are at school. Jacob is watching over Renesmee. She's been having a hard time since the babies were born, but Carlisle expects her to be better in a couple of days. Kim is watching Alex, Nelda, Lottie and Tina. The rest of us are around somewhere. Pretty soon, Bella, Rose and Alice will be starting dinner. It's their day to cook. We take shifts for cooking, cleaning, laundry and childcare. Except we don't let Emmett cook. He tried to burn down the house in Forks once."

"Yeah, I heard about that," I smirked.

"I'll bet you did. I'll show you around, and you'll meet people as you see the place. It's nicer than having everybody maul you at once. We don't get many new visitors, and you will be getting a lot of attention, whether you want it or not."

**A/N: Ang and Ben have been interrupting Bella and Edward's wedding so much that I posted this chapter to shut them up. And they're still complaining that they are neglected. Theo and Evan are aging, and Nessie is not. Review and tell me what adventures you're anticipating at the Cullen Ranch.**

**Check out my webpage, where you will find drawings and blogs related to my stories. The link is on my profile. I love to hear from you, please contact me:d Happy reading.**


	18. Chapter 18: Liberated Cat

**Chapter 18: Liberated Cat**

**Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just messing with her people, who I happen to love like family. The Cullen Ranch and the babies belong to me. Please do not copy this story.**

**February14, 2014**

**Ben's pov:**

It was an interesting first day at the Cullen homestead. It really was like a ranch. Only I never thought a ranch would be so noisy. There was a constant stream of people crashing around. Nobody seemed to know how to simply walk from Point A to Point B. They stomped. They leaped. They ran. They slid across floors and down bannisters. It was like living with rhinos on speed. And they called to each other from one end of the place to the other. Rosalie caught me looking a little overwhelmed, and smirked. Now I knew what she meant by life being less than utopian here.

Theo and Ethan were worn out by 3:30 in the afternoon. They didn't often nap anymore, but all the excitement had been enough for them. Alice helped Ang carry the boys upstairs to our room, which was more spacious than we expected it to be. The room contained a comfortable queen-size bed, topped with a thick white duvet, a change table, and a crib for the boys to share.

The floor had a warm, royal blue carpet, and there was a little gas fireplace on the center wall, fronted by two wing chairs upholstered in suede. The room had an adjoining two-piece bathroom, a closet and a dresser. Apparently, the Cullens were always ready for company to make an extended stay.

Alice used her charms to worm her way into our suitcases, and before you could say 'Jiminy Cricket', all our belongings were unpacked and arranged in beautiful order. Alice handed us a cordless baby monitor, and ushered us back downstairs.

"Should you wish for any grown-up time, just let us know, and the boys can go to the nursery and playroom," Alice offered. Alone time. Wow. That rarely happened in our home. Ang and I looked at each other speculatively.

The boys ensconced in their crib, the three of us rejoined Edward and Bella in the great room, pulling up spots next to them on a big couch. Edward was sitting with his arm around Bella, and she had her feet tucked up under her as usual. As much in love as ever, I thought fondly.

A teenage girl was playing the piano at the back of the room. Edward was listening attentively. Ang expressed a desire to see Renesmee. Edward and Alice looked at each other for a few moments without answering Ang. Then, Edward nodded.

"You mustn't be alarmed when you see her," he warned. "The same thing happened to me when I reached her, um, age. She'll be fine ... after. We were really hoping ..." Edward looked downcast. Bella gave him a squeeze, and smiled reassuringly at him. Edward rallied, smiling faintly.

"So your brother had the same health condition as you?" I asked tentatively.

"Half brother. Apparently. Carlisle and I think my mother must have passed it to us when we were born. There's so little known about our condition."

"What's it called?"

"Hmm? It's unpronounceable. I don't even try to remember." Edward shrugged. Weird. He was so intelligent, I couldn't imagine him being unable to pronounce the name. There must be a different reason that he didn't want to tell us.

"So, your brother was...?"

"He was the oldest. I really don't remember either of my half-siblings. Only flashes. I was the youngest. Our mother, Elizabeth, was married to a guy named Bill, and he died in the War." Vietnam, or Afghanistan, I wondered. Edward did not elucidate.

"She married my father, Edward Masen, a few years later. He was a friend of her first husband. She was in her late thirties when I was born. I was six when my parents died. Lizzy was, um, nineteen, I think. And William was about twenty-three. I never saw either of them after my parents passed."

"They never tried to see you?" I asked incredulously. They were adults. They could have taken him in. How could they have been so cold?

"They resented my mother's remarriage. They didn't want me." Edward must have seen how shocked I was.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, Ben. It all happened a long time ago. I remember my mother fairly well, and she was a lovely person. And then Carlisle and Esme adopted me, and they've been marvellous parents. I've had a wonderful life. Much better than most kids can hope for. And now, I have Bella and this huge family."

"Bet you didn't expect to have grandkids at 27, did you man?" I said wryly.

"I didn't expect to have a _kid_, never mind grandkids. Had I been a hundred and ten, I would not have expected grandkids. But God works in mysterious ways, my friend."

"That He does. And you took Nessie, even though her father never took an interest in you?"

"Aw, Ben, how could I not? It wasn't her fault he wasn't there for me. Besides, when I saw her, I kinda fell in love with her."

"How old is Nessie, exactly?" I asked curiously.

"She'll be seventeen on November 20th." Edward smiled and sighed ruefully.

It didn't add up.

If Nessie was 16, then Jacob, who was 24 or 25, had gotten her pregnant at 15. And Edward hadn't murdered him. And laws being laws, whether in Canada _or_ the US of A, Nessie was a minor. And she was not, to my knowledge, emancipated.

If Nessie was 16, then Edward and Bella had gotten her when she was ... nine. And the pictures they had of her, on the wall, showed a much younger child. And Bella had told Angela that they got her when she was three, which fit with the pictures I'd seen.

Nothing added up. Edward was _lying_. And Edward was a good man. A godly man. At least, I had always _believed_ that he was. He'd done me nothing but good, and his advice had always been sound.

Nothing added up. And there were other things. The mysterious health condition that plagued the Cullens and their spouses. The lack of ageing. The move to Canada. The Quileutes.

A thrill of fear crept up my neck. What had I unearthed? I couldn't help myself. I stared at my friend, the man who had been such a central part of my life, like he was the devil himself.

Edward pinched his nose, sighing. Then, he chuckled softly. He looked at his sister, and she nodded. He nodded back, decisively. Alice got up and walked away.

Edward folded his hands and rested his elbows on his knees, looking at me warmly. He glanced at Angela and Bella, and then focused on me again. "Ben? I'm sorry for everything. Truly. Don't blame Angela. It isn't her fault. We lied to protect you, and Ang, and our families. We meant no harm, and we will never harm you, no matter what. Please have faith that we are not evil, and we really do love you."

What, could he read minds?

"Yes, actually, I can."

I flinched. He wasn't ... normal. Nor was anyone in his ... family. Not ... Christians.

Edward chuckled, "Oh, we most certainly are Christians. Never doubt that, my friend."

I gaped. Edward really could read my mind.

"I told you so," he smirked. "I have hated myself for lying to you. I'm glad it's over. I hope you won't ... freak out. I hope you won't harm us. And I hope you will come to understand why we had to lie. The secret must be kept. It's for your own protection. My government would wipe out all of us if this becomes known."

His _government?_ Were they aliens?

"We're not aliens, Ben."

But everything he and Bella, and apparently my wife, had told me about them was a lie.

"No, _most_ of what I've told you is true. But some of it is out of _context_. I lie as little as possible. It makes me feel so awful. But you're right, Ben. I have told you enormous lies. And I have regretted every minute of it."

"Me, too, Ben," Bella added solemnly.

"And you, Angela?" I glared.

"It was not my secret to tell, sweetheart. And keeping you in the dark was for everyone's protection, including yours. I love you, Ben, and I could never bring myself to tell you and put you and the babies in danger," my wife said softly.

I raised angry eyes to Edward. "The truth. Now."

"Angela found out about us inadvertently, Tuesday, August 11th, 2009. I visited you in your dorm on August 1st, do you remember?"

"How could I forget?" I said acerbically. "I thought you were going to pound me."

"Well, to be honest, I did consider it. But your thoughts gave you a reprieve," Edward admitted.

"A reprieve? _Which_ thoughts exactly?"

"Your regret. Your feelings for Angela. You softened me up, you sappy date. I just couldn't kill you after that." Edward smiled crookedly. Angela looked alarmed. Edward chuckled and glanced at her. "Oh, I'm only joshing, Little Angel. I never would have hurt him. Much."

"Get to the point," I ordered.

"She was present when I got injured. And she found out that we aren't ... human."

I folded my arms. "You're not human."

"Not anymore."

"And you aren't aliens." This couldn't be real. They were putting me on. I had fallen down a rabbit hole or something.

"No. Welcome to Wonderland, Ben."

"This is like pulling teeth. Spit it out!"

"You must promise me first that you will never let word of this cross your lips to anyone. It is vital to keep the secret."

"I'll decide that when I hear it!" I snarled hotly. "You've lied to me for years. My wife has lied to me for your sake. Why should I keep faith with you?"

"Because I love you like a brother, Ben. And it's an ultimatum. I require your word. And I trust it."

I glared into Edward's certain eyes, considering.

"Please, Ben?" Angela begged huskily, looking down at her feet.

I stared, considering. Edward and Bella had been a force for good in our lives. They had behaved themselves in a mature, Christian fashion. They had an excellent marriage. They had gone over the top to show kindness to me and Angela. And they had always told us how much we were loved. The tension seemed to go out of Edward. _Damned _mind reader. He smiled self-deprecatingly at me.

"I really hope not," he said. "I really hope God will forgive me my sins. And I hope you will, too. I'm asking, humbly, for your forgiveness."

Forgive others, so that God will also forgive you. Edward was obviously sorry, but was he repentant, or would he lie to me again? "Well, since you've always demonstrated kindness to me and my family, and I've never witnessed you doing any harm, I am going to go out on a limb and give you a second chance. But I don't want any more lies, ever again, Edward. Not from you, or any of your family members. And particularly not from my wife. You don't know how much this has ... hurt me."

"I think I do. And I am most desperately sorry. I do repent, Ben. I told you, I have hated lying to you. All of us will be so much happier if you know."

I nodded, and stared my friend in the eye. " I promise to keep your secret, for the safety of everyone I love. Including you."

Edward nodded in return. "Thank you, Ben. I love you too. I accept your word. And I give you mine in return. We will always act with your welfare in mind, and we will never lie to you again."

That sounded like a loophole. "Even if a lie seems to be in my best interests?"

"Even then. No more lies."

"Excellent. Now, tell me."

Edward and Bella exchanged a look, and she nodded at him.

"Vampires."

He was joking. It was all a colossal joke. It was nonsense. It was infuriating. It was ... plausible.

"I'm not lying, Ben. We're 'vegetarian' vampires." Edward used his fingers to make little quote marks. "We drink the blood of animals to survive. We don't harm people. Most vampires are wicked. Sometimes, we have harmed wicked ones. But mostly, we just try to not judge others. We try to give them a shot at redemption."

The Cullens looked the same now as they'd looked 10 years ago. I'd rarely seen Edward eat or drink, even when we'd travelled together.

"I've seen you eat," I protested.

Edward barked a laugh. "Yeah, but you've never seen me digest it. I have to chuck it up."

I had never once seen him head for a washroom. And they had a daughter whose true age could not be logically explained.

"You're not kidding me. You are really vampires," I said numbly.

"I'm not kidding. We really are. And knowing about us puts every single person here, and many more in Forks, at risk of annihilation. My government will never let our existence become known. Do you understand why we've lied, now?"

I swallowed dryly. "I understand. And Nessie?"

Bella answered me. "Ren is our biological daughter. I bore her before Edward changed me. She was born November 20th, 2005, just as I told you. She is seven and a half human years old. Because Carlisle hypothesized that she would go sterile when she is fully mature, in about six months, she and Jacob decided to take their lives into their own hands and create our granddaughters. Since we understood their point of view, we decided not to kill him. And Renesmee is now changing into one of us. Early."

"And that's how you became a vampire, too? You had a human mother and a vampire father, and when you grew up, you changed into what you are, now?" I demanded of Edward.

"No. My daughter is very rare. There are hardly any hybrids as far as we know. Every once in a while we stumble across one, thanks to an evil coven we found and defeated in the Amazon. Although we fear there will be more children since our kind discovered the possibility. We are dreading that they will misuse the ability of males to conceive with humans. Female vampires are sterile."

"And you chose this, Bella? Freely?"

"I chose Edward, who is good and selfless. Nothing else mattered." Bella corrected.

"How were you made?" I asked Edward crossly.

"I was dying. Carlisle turned me."

I turned back to Edward again. He was already shaking his head at me, answering an unvoiced question, which was annoying. "So you never had a brother and sister? And your parents didn't die, _you_ did? That was a load of bull, to get my sympathy?"

"Not at all, Ben. I _did _have an older half-brother and half-sister. And they didn't like me. And after my 'death' I never saw them again. For which, mostly, I was glad. Only, I was seventeen when I died, not six. They had long since moved out on their own. The story of how my parents met is true. And my father was a lawyer. He was in school and never went to war. And my parents both passed away before I did."

That was a weird thing to hear. Passed away. "You aren't _dead_, though, are you?" I wanted a definite answer.

"I'm undead. My system is totally different to yours. My heart does not beat. Blood does not zip through my veins. As far as we can tell, since nobody will volunteer to submit to a living autopsy, whatever we drink is absorbed directly from our stomachs into our tissues. I am strong, fast and durable, I have perfect recall, I don't sleep or eat food, and for years I hated what I was. We are always thirsty for blood. We are always resisting temptation.

"Now, I try to do good. I try to take care of others, human or otherwise. And I'm thankful to God for the opportunity, Ben. But I won't likely be meeting Him soon. Unless He decides my time's up. And death with your name in God's good book is a worthy goal. I hope to be ready to meet Him someday."

"I can't believe I just heard the Testimony of a mythical creature," I intoned dully. "You are unbelievable." I wished somebody would pinch me.

Edward reached over and pinched me, grinning crookedly.

"Ow! Not so rough, Blade!"

"Sorry," he chuckled, eyes glinting with humour.

"Liar. Why the Quileutes? Why Canada?" I wondered.

"The Quileute males morph into wolves in order to protect humans from vampires."

I gaped at him. "They live with you. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?" I demanded.

"They are killing machines, Ben. I've seen it. We've had a war with evil newborn vampires and we've had a war with that evil coven I mentioned, and we've had a near war with our own leaders. The Quileutes are a force for good. Ask Bella."

"And they are here because?" I prompted.

"Jacob bonded with our baby. And since he's a pack leader, half of LaPush wanted to come here with us. The shape-shifters are all male, except one. They all seem to find their mates by what they call 'imprinting'. They see somebody and just instantly bond with her. Claire has someone imprinted on her. Trust me, there is no paedophilia going on or Jacob would be dead. Claire's admirer, too. The men just are really dedicated to the girls, and then life either shifts in their favour and the girl returns their feelings when she reaches maturity, or the girl rejects the young man and he is totally up the creek in the romance department."

"And you came to Canada because?" I asked.

"We look inhuman in the sun. We needed someplace cloudy. And we're getting a little too easy to notice in the States, since we've been moving around from cloudy place to cloudy place for many years. Carlisle was offered the opportunity to work up here, and it seemed like a good place to try. And it's worked out very nicely so far, although the lack of privacy sometimes drives us raving mad."

"Do all vampires read minds?" I wondered.

"No, but some of us have other special talents. Bella is a Shield. She protects herself and others from mental attack. I can only hear her thoughts if she wants me to. Renesmee can make others see and hear _her _thoughts, and nobody can prevent it. Alice has visions of possible futures. Jasper is an empath."

"The Denalis!" I exclaimed.

"They are family friends. Cousins, if you like. They are vegetarians, but they are also succubi. We don't have much in common morally, but we still count them as family. There are so few of us, we need to stick together."

"Fascinating," I decided. "So. We're going to visit Nessie?"

"My, oh, my. Aren't _you_ taking this well!" Edward said with an eye roll. "We're taking you, if you still want to go. But be warned: she is an unknown quantity right now. Don't get close enough to her to be grabbed, because we don't know what reaction your scent will provoke. It might be nothing, it might be deadly. So if you want to change your mind, now, you can."

"You'll protect us?"

Edward nodded. Alice and Rosalie vaulted over the railing on the third floor, and fluttered down gently in front of us. "I don't see the merit in this idea, Edward," Rosalie growled.

"Well, I do," Alice stated. Oh, yeah. Psychic.

"I never bet against Alice. Sorry, Rose."

"What else is new," she said with an eye roll. "At least take us with you, in case our niece decides human is on the menu."

"Okay, thank you Rosalie. That's reassuring."

"Sure, sure." Another eye roll from the Amazon princess.

"Actually, the Amazons look nothing like Rosalie," Edward whispered in my ear. I nearly swallowed my tongue. He chuckled and put his arm around my shoulders. I tensed.

"Oh, come on, pal. You're not going to start treating us differently now that you know, are you? We're not gonna eat you. We don't bite. Much." Edward slapped my shoulder and I nearly fell over. He steadied me. "Sorry, chum. Let's go see Ren."

"Hold on," I said hesitantly. "Angela stays outside until we see if it's safe."

"Ben!" Ang protested.

"Do as I tell you!" I ordered nervously.

"Alright, Ben. Just relax. Jasper? Emmett?" Edward called softly. His brothers immediately rushed through the front door to join us.

"Yes, Edward?" Jasper asked.

"The cat's out of the bag," Edward smirked. "Ben and Ang want to see Ren. Will you be back-up? Just in case?"

"Sure, bro. Think that little hum-pire is a threat?" Emmett asked.

"Emmett! Stop calling her that before I rip your head off."

Emmett chuckled. Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose again. Guess he never had broken the habit.

"Habits are hard for us to break. For that reason, we are careful how we behave." Edward turned back to his brother. "Ren's behaviour is an unknown right now, Em. Better safe than sorry."

"She's in a lot of pain, Edward. She's feeling very clingy right now," Jasper stated.

"Awake, Jazz?"

"Semi-awake. Sort of drifting. Jacob is weary."

"I'll relieve him for awhile, then. She'll be getting into the worst stage, now." Edward mashed his lips together fretfully. Then, indicating that I and his women folk should follow, he pushed open the door to the infirmary.

Jacob Black was lounging in a recliner beside a hospital bed, holding hands with Renesmee. He looked exhausted. The room was dark, save for a soft lamp on the bedside table in the far corner of the room. Stainless steel cabinetry and a small refrigerator lined the wall behind Jake. I turned my attention to the bed.

As we approached, Nessie writhed and then stilled, her legs bent at awkward angles. Bella brushed the matted hair out of her daughter's eyes, and kissed her cheeks. Nessie whimpered. Bella took hold of her ankles and pulled her legs straight, smoothing the bedclothes. Edward slipped behind Bella to kiss his daughter's forehead.

Jacob sat up with a start. "Sorry. Must have drifted off," he said gruffly.

"It's okay. We brought Ben to see Ren."

"Hey, Ben," he groaned, ironing his face and stretching.

"Hi, Jacob."

"How is it going?" Bella asked.

"You tell me." Jake looked at Edward.

Edward seemed to be taking an inventory of his daughter's symptoms. "She's really hot. We should pack her in ice, soon. She's not smelling human anymore. You notice that, Jake?"

"Yeah." Jacob rubbed his eyes and regarded Edward quietly.

"That bother you?"

"No. I'm used to it now."

"We used to hurt your nose."

"Not anymore."

"Well, that's good news. Would have sucked if you couldn't stand her new scent." Edward pulled down the comforter and palpated Nessie's abdomen through her flannelette pyjamas. It was flat as a board. He pulled the covers up again.

"Yeah. Not a problem." Jake yawned and his head dropped back onto his chair.

"Good. Her heart rate is regular. There's still a long way to go." Edward grimaced. Nessie whimpered.

"Hey, honey? Ren? Dad and Mom are here. And you have visitors. Ben's here. Can you open your eyes for me?" Edward asked softly.

"Daddy?" Nessie cried softly.

"I'm here."

"My eyes sting."

"I know, lovey. You're getting there, I promise." Edward stroked her hair.

"It burns."

"I'm sorry. I know. We'll pack you in ice, soon. It will help speed things along, but it will still hurt."

"Who else is here? I smell a human."

"It's Ben."

"Uncle Ben?"

"Yes."

Nessie reached a hand out for me. I approached cautiously, flanked by Alice and Rose. "Hi squirt," I said. Nessie smiled a little. I took her hand, and the vampire bodyguards braced themselves. Nessie smiled through gritted teeth.

"Hi. Is Little Aunt Angel here too?"

"She's in the hall. She'll come in with the next shift of visitors."

"Cool. You meet my babies, yet?"

"No. We haven't been here very long. Just long enough to catch me up to speed."

"Oh. Good."

Suddenly, an onslaught of images crashed into my mind. I tried to back up, but Nessie wouldn't release my hand. In my head, I saw Carlisle and Jacob looking worried. I heard Nessie screaming through a red haze. I saw two little slimy, squalling red bodies. And then, everything disappeared behind a wall of searing, black pain.

I gasped, and panted. Edward was holding me up. I tried again to pull my hand away. Nessie sat up suddenly, opening her eyes to transfix me.

I quailed and froze. Her eyes were red. Blood red.

The vampires blurred into motion. Alice and Rosalie grasped Renesmee by the shoulders and pushed her back down to the bed. Wailing, Renesmee fought them, while they ordered her to lie back and let me be.

Meanwhile, I felt a whoosh of cold air. Blinking, I found myself in the bright light outside the room. I seemed to be clutching Edward around the waist. He was shaking. Oh. No, that was me. Edward pushed me back to look at me calmly. He half carried me to the nearest chair and pushed me down into it. Angela hurried over and put her arm over me.

I noticed Emmett and Jasper in the background. Jasper was holding a large metal rectangular bar, and Emmett was screwing a pair of steel fence board hangers into the door-frame. Jasper dropped the bar into the hangers. Alice, Rosalie, Jacob and Renesmee were now trapped inside.

Several Quileutes were in the great room, gawping at the barred door.

"Well, well. That didn't exactly go smoothly. Angela? We will be delaying your visit with Renesmee. She's a little ... delirious right now." Furious screams now issued from behind the door. Jasper looked at it nervously.

"Alice, you okay?" he asked. I heard no response, but apparently the mythical creatures in the room did, because they all relaxed.

"Thank you Alice, Rose. I will relieve you when Jake's done calming her down." Edward said to the door. Edward turned to the assembled Quileutes.

"Tell everybody to stay away from Renesmee until we know what we're dealing with," he ordered. "For now, everything's under control."

Was Edward delusional? "She was going to kill me," I gasped.

"No, no. She just got irritated when you tried to take your hand back. Newborns are highly emotional. She'll be rational soon, don't worry. All I detected from her was a rather overwhelming need to display her affection and share her emotions with you. There was no intent to do harm."

I was under-impressed. She could hurt someone by accident. "You've imprisoned people with her." I said, horrified.

"They can handle her, Ben. Jake will calm her down, and then the men will trade places with them. Jake needs some sleep."

"She could drain their blood," I insisted. Edward huffed a laugh.

"Mind reader. Remember? Ren's not thirsty yet, Ben. And Rose and Alice are not edible. Jake would not be palatable, either, since he has the wolf gene. Even if she _were_ thirsty, we have blood in the fridge in there. Plenty to sustain her caretakers, if need be. And enough to satiate her, before we attempt to open the door in a few days. She's not going to hurt you, or anyone else. I promise."

The front door opened, and Carlisle and Esme strolled in, removing their woollen scarves.

"Hey, Ben! Angela! How lovely to see you," Carlisle smiled. Esme came over and kissed my wife. Carlisle seemed to take hold of the atmosphere in the room. He looked at Edward questioningly.

"Ren was a little adamant about holding Ben's hand. Scared him half to death," Edward informed his father. "We've decided it's necessary to restrain her until things settle down."

"How's the transformation going?" Carlisle asked clinically. He handed his coat to Jasper, who took it, and Esme's, to hang up in the coat room.

"Pretty smoothly. She's got a long way to go yet, though. Strange, considering what a short time it took Bella. Considering Renesmee carries my DNA, I would have expected her to be through the process sooner."

"Ice bath?"

"Oh. We were just planning to wrap her up when she freaked out. When we change shifts, I should take in ice with me."

"Symptoms?" Carlisle crossed his arms.

"Elevated temp, regular heartbeat, rapid shallow breathing, altered scent, accented musculature, and volatile mood. Her loose skin is gone. Oh, and I don't understand it. Her eyes are red. Nahuel's weren't."

"Nahuel is a male. We never asked about his sisters. Perhaps they had red eyes when they transformed."

"So much for having Bella's eyes," Edward mused.

"She probably will look more like Bella than ever," Carlisle smiled. "Well, Ben? Do I need to give you something for your nerves? You've had quite the shocking afternoon. Alice called me and explained."

"Uh, no, I think I'm okay," I said softly.

"Angela?"

"I'm fine. Thanks, Carlisle."

"Edward? You have great taste in friends. Ben? Angela? I'm very impressed with the trust you've exhibited in us. Reminds me of you, Bella."

"Edward used to say I had no sense of self-preservation," she laughed.

"Ang and Ben are smarter than you, Minx. They're happy being human."

"Naturally. They're both normal. We never were. I could only be happy with you, Beautiful. And that meant embracing your quirky lifestyle."

"Ouch."

"No regrets, Mocha-chino." Oh! _That's_ what he smelled like. Of course.

"No regrets, Minx."

"Who is _he_, and what has he done with our son?" Esme joked. "You are awfully calm for someone whose baby is burning in there."

"Serenity Prayer. On mental loop. Besides, I did the majority of my fretting when she was an infant. I'm sure I drove Bella mad."

"Bella knew how to get you out of your funks," claimed Bella.

"You're calm, too, Bella," Esme marvelled.

"Serene husband. Loves me like a rock," she smirked, poking Edward in the side.

"Great song!" Emmett exclaimed.

"Minx. No tickling!" Edward growled. Then, he took a good look at me. "I think we need to feed the humans. They're looking a little peaked. We've got Coke, right?"

"Always. You know the Kwali love it." Esme confirmed.

"Come on, kids. Let's get you fed. Edward grabbed my arm and hauled me off my chair. He slung one arm around me, and the other around Angela, and marched us into the kitchen.

It was a huge, commercial looking affair, and wonderful smells were coming from simmering pots. "What are you feeding our people tonight, Bella?"

"Roast venison with red pepper jelly, corn chowder and cornbread with honey."

"Lucky humans. Jake will be happy."

"Hopefully. Alice and Rose were supposed to be helping me serve tonight."

"I'll help!" Emmett exclaimed.

"Oh, um, no thank you, Emmett."

"Aw, come on! You're holding a grudge because of the kitchen back home," Emmett crossed his arms and pouted. He looked like he might cry.

"Oh, alright Em. You can help serve. _Gently._ But no cooking. Understand?"

"Thank you, Bella! I won't disappoint you, I promise." Emmett was bouncing on his toes. Edward barked a laugh and disguised it as a cough.

"How 'bout using your new-found status to get some Coke for Ang and Ben?" Edward suggested.

"In a jiffy. I'm on it!" Emmett bounced away.

"I could help serve, too, Bella, if you'd like," Ang suggested shyly.

"Girlfriend, we don't exactly operate at human speed around here. I think it would be safest if you just sit down and watch the show," Bella chuckled. She pointed to a door, and Edward grasped me and my wife again and steered us out.

We were surprised to find a small dining room, capable of holding about 30 people. The inside wall, adjoining the kitchen, had a pass-through window. It was painted pale blue. The other walls were logs, and the exterior wall was full of French doors. Edward gestured to some chairs, and we sat down gratefully.

Emmett appeared, brandishing two big glasses of icy Coke, which he set in front of us. We drank it down thirstily. I was rather shocked to look down and find my glass empty. Emmett produced two fresh cans of pop with a flourish, grinning. Edward chuckled and watched him pour refills.

Claire poked her head into the room. "How much longer 'til supper?" she whined.

"Emmett is just going to set the tables. Then, we'll call everyone," Edward promised.

"Yay!" Claire looked up expectantly. A white blur moved past us, ruffling Claire's hair. I looked down in surprise. There were 8 sets of dishes and cutlery neatly laid out on our table, like magic. Edward chuckled as Ang gaped at him. There was another whoosh, and glass wear and mugs joined the dishes.

"Supper!" bellowed Claire, ringing a large, old-fashioned dinner bell on a rope.

Seven adults, Claire and two babies entered the room, chattering cheerfully. Sam stopped to greet Carlisle and ask about Renesmee. Parents grabbed highchairs and dragged them over to their tables.

Esme came in, carrying my sleepy sons. She handed one each to Angela and me, and left. Jasper brought over highchairs to us. We slipped the boys into them. Esme appeared with cheerios, which she spilled in front of the kids.

Leah, Quill and Embry came and sat at our table and were introduced. Leah spoke to Edward. "Hey, Leech? There's a big grizzly near the edge of the property, to the northeast. It's the one that's been walking into front yards and scaring homeowners in Bracebridge."

"Thanks, Fluffy. I'll inform Emmett."

Esme walked to the front of the room, clinking a glass for attention. "For what we have been given, let the Lord make us truly thankful, and ever mindful of the needs of others. Thanks be for the presence of our friends Ben and Angela Cheney, and their boys Theo and Ethan. Bless those whose hands prepared this food, and bless those who serve in our home."

"Amen." All those planning to eat picked up their spoons, chattering again.

"Tell him to save the hide." Leah continued as though there had been no interruption.

"Got plans?" Edward asked with a glint in his eye.

"Yup."

"Do I want to know about these plans?"

"Nope. Not unless you enjoy talking to Customs."

"Not." Edward smirked as Emmett and Bella came in the room, carrying huge trays laden with bowls of chowder. Jasper helped to set a bowl in front of each person. He gave plastic bowls to Theo and Ethan, and informed us that the chowder in them had been laced with milk to cool it. We thanked him, and started spooning chowder into the boys' mouths. Mercifully, they liked it.

Emmett came back with a platter full of sliced venison, a pepper grinder and a pot of red pepper jelly. The Quileutes growled appreciatively and tucked in. Emmett made another pass at the table, dropping off buns, butter, and cloth napkins. Then, he brought tea and coffee for the adults and milk for the boys. He stopped at our table and beamed at Edward.

"Good job, Em. I'm sure Bella will let you help again. Now, Leah tells me there's a rogue grizzly hanging around the northeast perimeter."

"Can I go now, bro?"

"How long will you be?"

"'Bout an hour, if I find it right away."

"I need you to help me with Renesmee tonight, but if you promise to be quick I don't see why you can't go now."

"Thanks, boss."

"Anytime, big guy. Oh, Em? Leah wants the skin." Edward turned to me and Ang. "I hope you'll forgive me, but I think I'd better go and relieve Jacob. He'll need his energy tomorrow. Bella will be out soon, to keep you company."

"What are we, chopped liver?" Leah said with an eye roll.

"I didn't want to impose on your free time, Smurfette," Edward said sarcastically.

"I'm used to it. We can fill them in on life at Leech Farm."

"Knock yourself out. Have a nice evening, Ben, Angel. I'll see you in the morning." Edward shook my hand and kissed Ang on the forehead. He patted the boys and moved around the table.

"Night, night, Fluffy." Edward bent over and kissed the top of Leah's head. She wrinkled her nose, then laughed, swatting him away. Edward's chuckle floated back to us as he sauntered out, snagging Jasper on his way.

**So everything's out on the table. No more lying to Ben. Merry Christmas, and God Bless you and yours. Look for the next chapter to post this week. I have more story to tell you.**

**I am nominated for an award for 'Toasty Warm'. Please check my profile page, and vote. And don't forget to check out my parody, 'Foreseen Events' (rated M).**

**Please review. I need your feedback to make me a better writer.**


	19. Chapter 19: Fun on the Ranch

**Chapter 19: Fun at the Ranch**

**Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit. I'm just playing with her peeps because I love them. This fic belongs to me, as do the babies. Please don't copy it.**

**'Loves Me Like A Rock', by Paul Simon, belongs to its respective owners. Lyrics from 365lyricsdotcom**

**Smurfette doesn't belong to me either. Nor do Star Wars, Star Trek or anything Disney.**

**Learn about polo at wwwdotsportpolodotcom**

**Valentine's Day to February 15th, 2014**

**Angela's pov:**

It was the best Valentine's Day of my married life, because I was free. Ben knew everything, and he had accepted the Cullens' apology, and accepted the mythical creatures despite their differences. He was now a Secret Keeper like me.

After dinner, Claire handed around chocolate to everyone, and we moved to the great room to socialize for the evening. Rose got out Emmett's guitar, and before we knew it, a typical Cullen-style sing-along was in progress.

Jacob was sitting quietly to one side, half-asleep. He refused to move upstairs to his bed. He insisted on staying within range of Nessie.

Alice and Rose sat with me, chatting and asking questions about acquaintances back in Forks, and laughing with me about different things the Denalis had done.

Emmett had asked, through the heavy, metal infirmary door, if the family would sing the song Bella had mentioned earlier in the day, so we set up into two groups, and those who knew all the words sang the main part, and those who didn't sang the responses. Half the people got up and danced while they sang, and those who didn't dance clapped along.**  
**

_(Ooohh..)_

_When I was a little boy (when I was just a boy)  
And the Devil would call my name (when I was just a boy)  
I'd say "Now who do, (who-oo)  
Who do you think you're fooling?" (when I was just a boy)  
I'm a consecrated boy (when I was just a bo-o-o-y)  
I'm a singer in a Sunday choir (oooh)_

_Oh my mama loves me, she loves me  
She'd get down on her knees and hug me (ahh a-a-ah)  
(oh)She loves me like a rock  
She rocks me like the rock of ages  
And loves me  
She love me, love me, love me, love me  
__  
When I was grown to be a man (grown to be a man)  
__And the Devil would call my name (grown to be a man)  
I'd say "Now who do, (whooo)  
__Who do you think you're fooling?" (grown to be a man)  
I'm a consummated man (grown to be a ma-a-a-n)  
I can snatch a little purity (oooh)_

_My mama loves me, she loves me  
She'd get down on her knees and hug me (ahh a-a-ah)  
(oh)She loves me like a rock  
She rocks me like the rock of ages  
And loves me  
She love me, love me, love me, love me_

_And if I was the President (was the President)  
The minute that Congress called my name (was the President)  
I'd say "Now who do, (whooo)  
Who do you think you're fooling? (who do you think you're fooling)  
I've got the Presidential Seal (was the president)  
I'm up on the Presidential Po-o-dium (oooh)_

_My mama loves me, she loves me  
She'd get down on her knees and hug me  
(oh)She loves me like a rock  
She rocks me like the rock of ages  
And loves me_

_She love me, love me, love me, love me  
(loves me like a rock)_

We enjoyed a few more response songs and rounds, like we used to sing at camp. Then, the couples in the group started to drift away from the group. Finally, it was down to Carlisle, Esme, Bella, Rose, Alice, the newborn baby girls, and the four of us. My boys were still in full swing, thanks to their earlier nap. Darn it. And they were very interested in the babies, who were not interested in being mauled by toddlers.

"Why does Edward call Leah 'Smurfette'?" I asked Bella. All the Cullens laughed a little ruefully.

"She's the only female of her kind," Bella explained quietly.

"Ouch. That must be tough."

"She copes," Rose stated. "She's a lot happier now than she was five years ago, trust me. Who knows? She might get a family of her own someday."

"Doesn't it hurt her feelings?" I pressed.

"Not any more than it hurts Edward to be called 'Leech'. They have their own dynamic. There's affection under it, you know. She used to really hate us, and she's too proud to admit she likes it here. So they squabble, and everyone pretends she's miserable when they know she's not," Esme smiled.

Ben's head was nodding. Carlisle noticed. "Why don't you and Ben go up to bed? Let us take care of the boys. When they wear out, we'll put them in the nursery and one of us will sit in there and mind them for the night."

"I'll do it," Rose volunteered. Big surprise.

"Thank you, Rose. That would be great. It's a long time since we've had a solid sleep."

"Want us to haul Ben upstairs for you, girlfriend?" Bella teased. At least, I thought she was teasing.

"I don't think Ben would appreciate that much, girlfriend," I answered with a smile. I poked Ben gently. "Ben? Time to go to bed, honey. Can you make it upstairs?" Ben snored. He was totally zonked out. Alice snickered.

"Ridiculous." Rosalie snorted. "He's going to hurt his back. Bella? Go open the door for me."

"Aye, aye, sister," Bella saluted her.

Rose stood up.

"Wait," I protested.

"Why?" Rose asked.

"He'd be embarrassed if he found out you carried him up."

"I bet he won't even notice," she said, eyes rolling. The next thing I knew, I was standing outside our bedroom door next to Bella, and she was opening it so Rosalie could carry Ben into bed. Bella tiptoed in and pulled back the covers. As Rose set Ben down, he snored like a freight train. Bella and Rose started giggling like young girls. Bella turned on the fireplace. They hugged me and kissed me on the cheek, and tiptoed out. Vampires. Bossy little brats, more like.

I liberated Ben from his slippers, and retrieved my nightgown from the drawer. Soon, I was cuddled up under the thick duvet, dreaming the dreams of exhausted mothers everywhere.

The next morning, we were called down to breakfast, which progressed much in the fashion of dinner the previous night. Edward, Emmett and Jasper were with us, and their wives were back on duty watching Renesmee.

"Have a nice night without the kinder?" Emmett smiled suggestively. Edward smacked him upside the head without looking away from his newspaper.

"What?" Emmett protested. "I just want to know if their Valentine's Day went well."

Edward smacked him upside the head again.

Carlisle and Esme came in, carrying my boys, who seemed totally content. Theo was sucking his thumb, looking at Carlisle like he was the best thing since sliced bread, and Evan was wrapping drool covered fingers in Esme's hair. She was talking to him in a singsong voice about wolf cubs and bears.

"I am going to have to hire you two to babysit for me regularly," I teased.

"Be careful what you wish for," Carlisle threatened. "We just love kids."

"You have quite a number of them running around here. Where are your great-granddaughters this morning?" I asked.

"Jacob's spending some quality time with them," Esme replied.

Edward snickered. "By the _sounds_ of it, he's getting to know how to change dirty diapers."

"He must know how, already. He looked after Renesmee for you sometimes," Esme protested.

"He never looked after her when she was too little to hold up her head, Mother. And the erm, consistency of the ... _hazardous material_, definitely changes over time."

"Oh, yeah," Ben concurred.

"You wouldn't believe the language in his head," Edward chortled gleefully. "I may have to bleach my brain. That kid knows words _I've_ never heard before. And that's really saying something."

"Welcome to parenthood, Jacob," Ben grinned.

"He says 'thank you', very sarcastically," Edward informed my husband.

"He can hear that?" Ben asked, astonished.

"Yeah. The nursery walls are not soundproofed, unlike the bedrooms. There's not much chance that anything you say in the public rooms of the house will be missed. One thing about it, it cuts down on gossip," Edward said with satisfaction, folding his section of paper and swapping it for Jasper's.

"How is Nessie doing?" Esme asked Edward.

"Coming along. She was mostly unconscious through the night. Had a bad spot around 4am, but the ice really seemed to help. Wish we'd figured it out years ago."

"You think _you_ wish," Carlisle sighed.

"Soon be over. Alice thinks just after dinnertime."

"Wonderful. So what's the plan for the day?" Carlisle wondered.

"You tell me, Captain. So long as I'm home at dinnertime, anything goes."

"The wolves are planning to do their routine patrols. All the chores are pretty much caught up. Why don't you show Ang and Ben around?" the patriarch of the clan suggested.

"Hmm... Little Angel? What would you think about going for a run this morning?"

"A run? Seriously? Like you used to take Bella on?" I was instantly raring to go.

"Sure."

"Really? Like, wow. That is so cool. Ben? Edward used to carry Bella all over the Olympic Peninsula on his back. She says he's faster than anybody on the planet," I gushed. Ben made a noncommittal noise.

Edward's yellow eyes met mine over the top of his paper. "Bella wasn't so thrilled at first. She used to be so terrified that I'd let her hit a tree, that when I stopped moving, she wouldn't let go of me. She just hung off me like a baby squirrel. The first time it happened, I pried her fingers off me, and she landed on her duff on the ground. That's the first time my family ever heard me laugh, incidentally." He grinned and laughed a little, remembering. "So, are you up for it, Ben?"

"Is it faster than a roller coaster?" he wondered.

"Probably, but it's a lot smoother. Unless you let a wolf carry you, and then their gait wobbles you around. But I must admit _that's_ kind of fun, so you should try it."

"Okay. Can't let a unique opportunity pass by, right?"

"Good call."

"You let a wolf carry you, Edward?" Emmett asked.

"Sure. Nessie made me."

Emmett made a raspberry-ish splutter. "Wimp."

"Takes one to know one, Emmy Bear."

"_Tell_ me it wasn't Jacob," Emmett insisted.

"Nope."

"Who?"

"Leah."

"Aw, that's not much better, bro. You let a girl carry you."

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer, Em."

"If you lot are doing anything fun today, you'd best get on your way," Esme ordered.

"Okay, Mom. We'll stop using up all the oxygen with useless talk and go get some fresh air. Who's watching the kinder?" Edward set down his paper.

"Jacob can watch his own kinder for a couple of hours. I'll watch Evan and Theo. You should get the wolves to take their mates along. Have a race. Gambol about or something. Wear them out so they're quiet for five minutes."

"Sounds like a plan. You coming, Dad?"

"No, I think I'll hang around here and play with the kids, if you don't mind."

"Better hope they save their dirty diapers for Mother, Carlisle," Edward teased, smiling crookedly. He listened to the air for a second. "Oh, too bad, Alice. Oh, well, that's better." Edward snickered more fiercely than ever. We all stared at him.

"Sorry. Alice had a vision. She says the boys will be angels for you, Esme, but the girls are going to give Jake another _nasty_ pair of mustard-filled diapers this morning."

Edward chuckled again. "Sorry Jake! Jake says 'aw'. Poor Jake," he informed us melodramatically. Then he whispered, "Not."

"Don't talk about diapers at the table, Edward, and you be nice to your son-in-law!" Esme admonished.

Edward just rolled his eyes. "I think I've been very nice. He's still breathing after knocking up my daughter out of wedlock."

"Pot to kettle," Esme admonished. My head whipped around. I was astounded.

"That's different and you know it. Bella and I didn't even go all the way. We didn't even know it could happen. Jake, and my kid, on the other hand, being educated, were very naughty."

"I think Renesmee was in charge of that decision, Trouble," his mother reminded him.

"Sure, sure. My daughter the succubus. She's too much like her mother."

"Quite a lot of her father in her, too. I seem to recall you breaking every rule," Carlisle smirked at his son.

"Bite me. Again. I followed as many rules as I could manage." Edward protested, grinning like a small, naughty boy.

"Dude! You broke the Volturi Prime Directive _and_ the Quileute Treaty. Then, you created Nessie without even trying," Jasper reminded him.

"This isn't 'Star Trek', Jazz. It just feels like it sometimes. I gave you a lot of new relatives. So sue me."

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," Emmett moaned.

"I was the last chaste vampire on the planet. It couldn't last forever."

"Not with Bella around," Emmett guffawed.

"Watch your step, she's listening. Come on, people. Let's roll. Daylight's burning."

Edward passed the word that we were going for a group run with the pack. Ben and I hurried to put on our winter clothes, to which Edward added hats and mufflers and fur-lined leather mittens. Then, we collected outside. A few girls came to join Ben and I, Edward, Jasper and Emmett. We stood in front of the lodge, waiting under the silvery sky.

"Brace yourselves," Edward warned, grinning crookedly. Suddenly, we heard the ground tremble, and felt it thrum under our feet. Edward turned, and we followed his gaze. From behind the house, issued a group of monsters: wolves, big as horses, with lolling pink tongues and teeth like steak knives. Ben and I clutched hands nervously. Edward patted us. "No reason to worry," he promised.

The huge wolves skidded into our midst, and dropped to their haunches. Kim, and Emily immediately ran over and scrambled up onto the backs of their mates, who stood back up, fast as lightning, and took off like a shot into the woods. Claire climbed carefully onto the back of a slightly smaller wolf. It bounded off after the others. Two more wolves arrived. One ran straight after its brothers. The other, a relatively small grey one, halted in front of us.

"You want to race, huh, Leah? Well, I think you need a handicap. I insist. You run faster than any vampire alive. No. Yes. Well, maybe. Want me to ask him? Okay." Ben and I frowned, attempting to follow this befuddling, half-silent conversation.

Edward turned to my husband, gesturing at the wolf. "Ben, you've met Leah. She wants to know if you'll ride on her back so that she can run a race with me that's more fair." Edward turned his head back toward Leah. "Yeah, right, Fluffy. We all know you like to compete with me." He listened to the wolf again. "Whatever, Smurfette."

"What are you bantering about now?" I demanded.

"Oh, she's just making a crack about my age." Edward shrugged. "One of these nights, Smurfette, I'm gonna dye you blue while you're sleeping."

Leah growled. How was it physically possible for a wolf to look sarcastic?

"Ooh. My, my. What big teeth you have. Are we racing or not, girl wonder?"

Leah plopped her body down in the powdery snow. A cloud of it whooshed up around us, making me shiver. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth and she barked a laugh.

"Brat. Here, Ben? Take your mitts off, please. Put your hands in Leah's scruff, and your foot on her foreleg, and swing your other foot over her back. Very good. Now, wrap your fingers in her fur, and really hold tight, okay? Up you get, lazy Leah. Angel? Come hop up on my back. Race to the creek, Leah? Mark, get set, ... GO!"

We were off like a cannonball, and the surrounding landscape blurred. I wondered if this was how astronauts felt in their anti-gravity simulators. It was very close to flying. I looked up at Ben, grinning at me from atop the giant wolf, who was keeping pace with Edward step for step. It was exhilarating, like being in a plane without the plane.

I giggled madly from my perch. No wonder Bella had loved this. I imagined her skipping gym in senior year, to rendezvous with Edward. The cheeky devil was wearing that look Bella had told me about. The one that expressed his love for speed.

As we passed into the woods, the others caught up with us. The wolves and vampires and humans were all barking and cheering, egging Edward and Leah on. We turned right, and I discovered that we were back on the public road that led to the ranch.

Suddenly, a few miles down the road, a logging truck appeared. There was an exclamation from everyone in the group, and then every single monster and human retreated in a single bound into the roadside trees. Edward crouched in the shadows, with me on his back, and his brothers and Leah at his side. Everyone was utterly still. It was spooky.

The truck drew near. The driver did not so much as glance around. He continued on. After a few minutes, Edward stood up and carried me carefully out of the woods, into the middle of the road. He looked up and down the road both ways, and whistled loudly. Everyone leaped out of the covering brush and congregated in the middle of the road.

The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, and Ben and I gasped as Edward and his brothers' skin turned reflective. Prisms of light danced off them, like they were disco balls. The Wolf People laughed, and Edward rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. We sparkle. Get over it," he said sarcastically. "Finishing the race, Fluffy?"

Emmett guffawed, still sparkling, and drew a line across the snow with his foot. Soon, the race was on again. We hurtled down the road and then veered left into the woods. The Quileutes were bellowing encouragement to Leah, and Edward's brothers were rooting for him. Edward put on a burst of speed. He pulled slightly ahead of Leah. She launched herself into the air, and Edward flung himself after her. We were flying, I realized, toward a shallow creek.

Edward landed and his feet splashed cold water up around us. Leah thumped down heavily beside us, nearly knocking Edward over. But she was too late.

"I win!" Edward crowed, exchanging high-fives with Emmett and Jasper. He put me down on dry land and twirled me in a little victory dance. Leah walked over and huffed out a big sigh, which blew the hair back out of my face. She was pouting.

"Rematch later, Smurfette. Be glad I didn't take you up on your bet." Edward laughed. He held out his right hand to Leah, and she lifted her massive paw and shook with him. Then, she sneezed. All over us. Wetly. Edward recoiled in disgust.

"Eeeew!" he wailed. "Doggy breath! Leah! You know how bad you smell, right? I ought to turn you into a coat for that. Just because Jacob is my daughter's mate doesn't entitle you to huff your putrid scent all over me! You smell like a dog's backside." He wiped at his face and neck, grimacing.

Leah, meanwhile, was having a doggy paroxysm, tongue hanging out of her mouth and eyes rolling.

"And here I was going to ask you to partner up with me for the game!" Edward pouted, crossing his arms and facing away from her. Every wolf ear perked up, swivelling toward Edward.

All the wolves drew close, as did Emmett and Jasper, paying an inordinate amount of attention to the show as far as I was concerned.

"Game?" Emmett repeated, rolling the word off his tongue like it smacked of paradise.

"No, not until Leah says she's sorry," Edward huffed, sneaking a peek at Leah and winking at me. "I am _not _full of it, Leah! That was unacceptable... No, I do _not_ believe it was an accident." Edward repressed a smirk with difficulty.

"Leah! He's offering us a _game_," Emmett whined, practically stamping his foot. "You know Edward thinks up good games, Leah."

Leah whined, rolled her eyes again and bent her forelegs to the ground, with her paws over her nose. She grumbled and woofed. Edward stuck his nose in the air.

"Not good enough," he stated.

Leah rolled on her back and howled.

"Okay. Apology accepted." Edward grinned. "Be right back."

Edward was gone in a flash, and back in three seconds. He was carrying two huge bags and two hockey nets.

"Hockey, Edward?" Jasper asked eagerly.

"Nobody's dressed for it. You can lead a game on the rink at home later, Jazz."

"So what's the game?" Emmett demanded impatiently. Edward declined to answer, unzipping the bag and grinning smugly at Emmett. He pulled out a long-handled mallet made of metal, and a small, solid, fluorescent ball.

"Croquet?" Emmett asked incredulously.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Polo. Divide up teams, and human riders get a helmet and a mallet."

"There are only three vampires, Edward. It's an unfair advantage," Jasper pointed out.

"I'm refereeing, Jazz. You and Em can be a pair. Your strength against the wolves' speed."

"Awesome, Tough Guy. Bring it!" Emmett smacked his hand into his fist and danced up to the bag.

"Choose teams," Edward ordered. "Angel? You're Red Captain. Emily? You're Blue."

I looked the group over. "Me and Leah."

Emily called, "Me and Sam."

I called, "Ben and Embry."

Emily pointed, "Hmm... Claire and Quill."

"Jasper and Emmett." I decided smugly. Who could beat them? They were so competitive.

"Jared and Kim." Emily finished.

Edward started to explain the game. "The field of play is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide, slightly larger than nine football fields and almost 10 acres in size. It is the largest field in organized human sport.

"The area beyond the side and end lines is called the 'run off'. Whatever happens there is treated like it's on field.

"In human games, the goals are quite large. We will be using the nets instead, to make things more challenging. Goals are located in the center of each end line. If the ball goes out of bounds, it just gets knocked back in, by the defending team, from the back line. No time-out is allowed for a Knock-In.

"The game starts at center field. Each team lines up in single file, with each team facing the ump. That's me. So I roll the ball between the two teams, and play begins.

"Each team normally has four players. Indoor matches have three, so we'll be fine with your teams. There are no set plays. Instead, players try to anticipate where the ball will be, and get it through the goal, just like soccer, except there's no goalie. Each player is allowed to make any play to help the team, changing position as necessary.

A normal match lasts about an hour and a half. The periods are called chukkers. There are six in a match. Each chukker lasts seven minutes. I'll whistle a warning, thirty seconds before the chukker ends. I'll shout 'Done' to finish it. Normally, there are breaks and a half-time. Not gonna happen here, people.

"The clock stops for a foul, a fall, an injury, loss of helmet or if the ball rolls out of bounds.

"A lost or broken mallet does not stop play. You may leave the field and grab a new one, or upend the mallet and whack the ball with the handle. Hopefully the vamps won't demolish the special mallets. I had to have them made.

"Keep your strokes slow and smooth. Shut up, Emmett! Each kind of stroke has a name, which I'm not going to bother teaching you today. Just hit the ball.

"There is to be no body contact between wolves, and riders must not swing their mallet in front of a wolf's legs or over another rider's wolf's head. The player who hit the ball has the right of way, and other players cannot cross the imaginary path, or "Line of the Ball" in front of that player.

Anything that might cause injury is a foul. Penalty lines are 30 yards from the goal, 40 yards, 60 yards, and at midfield. The umpire decides how severe the penalty will be. There had _better_ not be any fouls, people. Let's go!"

"Wait, Tough Guy! What's the prize?" Emmett demanded.

"Winning captain gets to make up the team's chore list for a week," Edward declared. There were delighted exclamations.

We all donned helmets, red or blue. Leah walked to the middle of the field and faced Edward. Emily and Sam stood opposite us. The rest of our teams lined up single file as directed.

Edward rolled the ball between us, and Emily and I had a skirmish for control of it. Finally, Emily knocked it past me, toward Red's goal. Emmett snuck in under the wolves bellies, and Jasper swatted the ball back toward the Blue side, throwing a great deal of snow in the air with his swing.

This continued for several minutes, before Emily managed to hit the ball so hard that it flew through the air toward our goal. Claire intercepted the ball and lobbed it into Red's net. There was a round of praise from the Blue riders. Edward whistled, and soon yelled, "Done!"

We all met, back at the center. "Second chukker," Edward announced, rolling the ball in. This time, I did not wait on ceremony. I lunged forward and violently struck the ball. Embry streaked down the field, making tunnels through the snow, and Ben gave the ball a solid hit. Unfortunately, Kim was there to block it. She passed the ball to Emily, who again cracked her mallet into the ball so hard, I thought the ball would shatter to powder. Emmett and Jasper blocked the goal, sending the ball back toward me. I whacked it over the center line, and Edward called the end of the second period. We groaned.

In the third chukker, nobody scored.

In the fourth chukker, nobody scored, but Claire fell off Quill's back into a drift and we had to have a time out. Being a brave kid and a good sport, she got back up on Quill's back and resumed play.

In the fifth period, Ben managed to hook Jared's mallet and send it flying. Jared left the field to get a new mallet, leaving his team vulnerable. Jasper took advantage of his absence to knock the ball through Blue's goal. Edward called an end to the period.

Our teams were tied 1-1. Edward declared the last period started, and rolled in the ball. Emily and I dived for it madly, and ended up with our mallets hooked together. We struggled, and after several tries, the mallets came apart. I retained my seat on Leah's back with difficulty. Meanwhile, the ball was careening toward Blue's goal, at Ben's hand. Hurray! Aw! I spoke too soon. Jared knocked the ball back toward center again. Jasper got under him and knocked the ball back toward Blue's goal. Edward whistled: only 30 seconds left.

Leah leaped in the air and came down beside the ball. I hit it as though I wanted to do it murder. Oh. My. Gosh. SCORE!!! Edward called, "Done! Winners? Red Team!"

Our team surrounded me, screaming with excitement. Emmett hoisted me off Leah's back and spun me in a circle. "You get to pick our chores!" he crowed.

"Each of you can tell me which chores you prefer, when we get back to the house," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Last time we played a game, we lost and I ended up cleaning bathrooms for a week. Thanks for getting that goal, Angel-girl. I owe you one."

"Is it lunch time yet?" Claire demanded. Edward looked at her quizzically as he finished packing up the equipment.

"Are you growing?" he asked her incredulously.

"No, I'm wasting away to nothing. You vampires forget we need to eat. Can we go home?" she whined.

"Last one there's a rotten egg!" Edward yelled, sweeping me onto his back. He started running before any of the humans could even get on their wolves' backs.

"So what do you think?" my adopted big vamp brother asked me as he ran.

"Have you ever seen the kids' movie, 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks'? This reminds me of the soccer match," I declared. Edward chuckled, nodding his agreement.

We left the field behind us, runnels of snow-less lines carved into the expanse of white. The cold air whistled around us as Edward ran, and the pack caught up and ran companionably with us. In no time at all, we were back at the ranch.

As we approached the entrance, Bella ran outside.

"Nessie's waking up early!" Bella exclaimed. Edward dashed inside with his wife. The rest of us filed in after him, slowly.

**So, will Nessie be in control of herself, like her mother, or will she try to eat her human friends? Stay tuned for the next chapter of "As Renesmee Turns". Don't forget to review, please.**


	20. Chapter 20: Family

**Chapter 20: Family**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Thank you to all my readers for not giving up on this story. I hope you enjoy the chapter:)**

**February 15, 2014**

_**Angela's pov**:_

"She's awake, and asking for you," Carlisle said as Edward stepped through the door with Bella.

"How is she?" Edward demanded, passing his Dad to step inside, and kissing Bella on the cheek. Carlise followed him in, allowing Sam to hold the door for the rest of us.

"She's thirsty. Been depleting our supplies for twenty minutes now."

"How many bags?" Edward stopped in his tracks.

"Four," Carlisle said solemnly.

"She shouldn't be drinking that stuff. She needs to go hunting," Edward opined.

"I didn't want any accidents on her way out the door," Carlisle responded. "Too many vulnerable bodies around here."

"She'll be fine with the humans, Carlisle," Alice said, walking out of the hospital room, with Bella on her heels. "But she should go hunting after greeting everyone."

Edward called back to Alice as he pulled Bella through the door to Nessie's room, "If she wants me to, Alice. But I imagine she'll want to go with Jacob." It was strange, listening to half-constructed conversations. It took getting used to.

"How was your morning?" Carlisle asked me, as Ben and I and all the Quileutes trooped into the coat room to shed our winter wear. Cheerful chatter filled the space. I noticed that even the Blue Team was smiling. They were good sports.

"We had a terrific time," I enthused. "Edward and Leah raced, and Edward won. Then, he reffed a great game of Polo, and my team won."

"Ah. So you'll be picking chores for next week." Carlisle looked both ways and bent down to speak softly in my ear. "Make sure you hand off bathroom duty and dusting. Nobody likes those jobs."

"You are a mean fellow, Dr Teeth," Esme said, walking up with my babies in her arms.

"Yes, milady, I am."

"Save it for later," Emmett advised, barrelling out of the coat room.

Esme handed Theo to me, and Ethan to Ben. We kissed them and asked how they were. They both pointed at Carlisle and Esme, saying "mampa."

"Is that Grandad? And Grandma?" I asked the boys, rocking Theo a little.

"Mam." Theo pointed at Esme.

"Yes, I prefer being 'Gram'," Esme said. "Renee is 'Grandma'."

"How is Renee?" I wondered. "I haven't seen her in years."

"She's fine. Still on the road with Phil. Let's go and sit down where we can be comfortable."

"Okay."

"Renee is in Seventh Heaven. She loves this world. Thinks she's in 'Star Wars', or something," Emmett said, collapsing into a chair.

"Well, you can hardly blame her, with all these mythical creatures running around," Rosalie said, sitting on the arm of it.

Theo and Ethan squirmed out of our arms and wandered off to find some toys in the big toy box at the back of the room. Claire ran over to the piano and sat down, starting some scales. My sons hurried over. Theo banged on the treble keys. Ethan watched him uncertainly.

"No, no. No bang," said Claire. You have to be _gentle_." Claire informed them. She showed them how to push down on the keys. Theo squealed, breaking everyone's eardrums, and pounded twice as hard.

Kim came into the room, bearing Renesmee's daughters. "Hi everyone," she said.

"How are my great- granddaughters?" Esme demanded.

"Well, they're awake," Kim said, smiling. She passed one of the tiny babies to Esme, who cooed over her.

"May I see her?" I asked, gesturing toward the other baby.

"Sure. This one's Valentine," Kim informed me.

I looked at the baby, bundled up in her little white blanket and pink hat. She looked at me out of her little black eyes, chewing on her fist. "She's so beautiful, Esme. You must be so happy."

"I am. We never thought we'd have babies around, you know. Renesmee was nothing short of a miracle. I remember the day she was born. It was scary for a little while there, but Bella and Edward were so happy. And then, I got to hold my granddaughter. One of the highlights of my life, let me tell you."

"Bella said nobody knew vampires could sire children."

"No. It was news to all of us. There were legends, of course. But the males who sire children tend to stay concealed. They don't want the Volturi coming after them, seeing as their behaviour is generally despicable. Bella, Chirica and Chepãa are the only surviving mothers that we know of. Most of the mothers were simply victims of an Incubus, and did not survive past childbirth, if they even made it that far. We didn't know that the sire has to play such a big part during the birth, in order to keep the mother alive."

"So Edward saved Bella?"

"Yes. It was instinctive behaviour on his part."

"What did he-"

Bella came out of Renesmee's room, and I forgot to complete my question.

"Hi everybody," she said cheerily. A chorus of answers met her. She sat beside Esme, tucking a foot under her on the couch.

"So how's your daughter?" I asked.

"She's a little confused. It's normal. Edward's talking to her, finding out how she's doing mentally."

"Is she like you, Bella? Is she well-controlled?" Sam wondered, sitting down.

"She appears to be exceptionally calm, Sam. Calmer than I was."

"That's saying something, vampire girl," Sam said, impressed.

"Yeah, well, Jacob is a lot better behaved now than he used to be, Sam. He was not exactly trustworthy back then. And he dared to imprint on my kid. Renesmee doesn't have that stress to worry about. All the males here are bonded."

"It's a wonder Edward let Jacob live," Carlisle said. "I honestly thought we were going to have a murder on our hands."

"You underestimate your son, Carlisle. He's the kindest, most forgiving soul I've ever met," Bella stated.

"He does constantly outdo everyone else in the patience department, Bella, but honestly, Jacob is lucky Edward can read minds. It's the only thing that saved him."

"Meh," Bella equivocated, waggling her hand.

"Edward loves you and Renesmee more than anything else in existence."

"Yes. I love him too. And my daughter. There would be no point to life without either of them. And now, I have the babies. I certainly wasn't expecting to be a grandmother at the age of 27."

"Do you want to hold the baby, Bella?" I offered.

"No thanks, Ang. I'll spend time with them at night, when you're sleeping. You enjoy them. Babies only last so long before they grow up. Ah! Here comes my husband."

Bella sat up, looking eager. Edward came out into the main room, and headed straight for his wife. Reaching us, he took her hand and kissed it.

"Ren is in good shape. Carlisle? I think we could risk bringing her out to see everyone."

"She tried to hurt me, Edward," my husband piped up.

"Ben, do you trust me?"

"Well, yeah," Ben confirmed.

"Ren never meant to frighten you. She wanted to show you her experiences, and you weren't prepared for her gift. She only wanted to communicate, Ben, and she got upset when you were unwilling to listen to her. That's not your fault. She's sorry. She wants to visit with you and the family. Alice said it would be safe. I've read Nessie's mind, and I'm certain she'll be able to control herself. There are a lot of people around here who can stop her, Ben, if she slips. The Cullens control their newborns."

"You're sure, Edward?" Ben asked.

"Yes, Ben."

"Okay."

Carlisle went to stand on the little dais by the front door. He whistled sharply. There was a cacophony, as feet stomped in from every direction. Carlisle waited for everyone to arrive and settle. "Do we have everyone?" he asked.

Sam was counting heads. "Yes," he confirmed.

Carlisle held up a hand, and the assembly fell silent. "Good afternoon, everyone. You all know why we're here." There were claps and whoops. Carlisle held up his hand again. "Renesmee is awake. I will remind you that she will be extremely sensitive to movement, touch and noise. While it is safe for you to say 'hello', we ask that you sit still, and allow her to approach you if she so desires. Please do not clap or scream. Questions?"

"Should the little kids be here, Carlisle?" Leah asked.

"Bella was able to care for Renesmee immediately after waking up, so our assumption is that Renesmee will be fine with all the infants and toddlers, even if they are noisy.

"Can we hug her and kiss her 'hello'? Quill asked.

"No. Not unless she comes to you first. People, do _not_ instigate _any_ touching."

"Is she gonna look scary?" Claire wondered.

"She won't look much different than she did before, but she has red eyes. You might find that a bit strange for a while, Claire. But it's still Nessie. Any more questions? No? Good. If everyone would be sure they are seated, I'll have my family escort Nessie out."

More people sat down, and the room grew hushed. It was the first time we'd experienced a moment of quiet since we got here. Theo and Ethan looked at us questioningly. They weren't used to the silence. I just hoped Theo wouldn't do one of his famous whistling shrieks. I shushed the boys almost soundlessly.

Carlisle walked to the hospital room door and opened it, speaking to all inside. He beckoned gently, and painfully slowly, a girl's hand crept into his. He put her hand in both of his, smiling and nodding encouragingly.

Renesmee Black stepped into the doorway, cringing. Carlisle gripped her hand tightly on one side, and Edward gripped her on the other. I wondered why Jacob wasn't holding her. I would ask Bella later, I decided.

She was beautiful. More beautiful than ever. The curl in her hair had relaxed a little. It waved angelically. Her skin was so white it was luminescent, her lips full and red. And the eyes? Strange, otherworldly and yet, stunning. I never imagined that red eyes could be attractive.

She had the body of an athlete. A runner, perhaps. More muscular and lean than the last time I had seen her . But her shape had also become more womanly.

Carlisle and Edward escorted Nessie into the room. Jasper stood behind them. Nessie looked about nervously, nostrils quivering. Jacob followed behind her, his gaze anxious.

Nessie walked down the line of waiting Quilieutes, looking a little overwhelmed. A sudden air of calm pervaded the atmosphere. Jasper's work, I surmised. Nessie reached down to smooth Kim's hair, and touch Jared on the shoulder. They smiled quietly at her. "Thanks for babysitting," she said softly, her voice musical and more rounded in tone.

"You're welcome," Kim replied, smiling. "You have beautiful babies, Ren. They're really easy to take care of."

"Good." Nessie moved around the room, speaking to everyone. She caressed Claire's baby brother's head, and shook hands with Sam. She stroked Emily's arm lightly, like she was made of glass.

Nessie stood in front of Leah, who regarded her with folded arms. "Leah."

"Junior Leech. Well, you look a lot better than you smell," Leah said, wrinkling her nose. "You're gonna take some getting used to," she claimed.

"Be nice, or I'll eat you," Nessie joked. "Auntie Angel?" she asked, turning her attention to me.

"Yes, dear," I replied.

"Do you like Tina?"

"Yes. Both girls are wonderful, sweetie." I looked down at the baby in my arms. She was busily attacking her fist, sucking on it. I pulled it out of her mouth, and was surprised to find four little spaces in her gums that looked like they had previously held teeth.

"Are you going to tell me horror stories about raising twins?" Nessie blinked at me nervously, reminding me of Bella.

"Only if you want to hear them," I smiled.

"Perhaps I do." Nessie turned her attention to my husband. "Uncle Ben?"

"Yes, Nessie," Ben said nervously.

"I'm sorry I frightened you. I just wanted to share my experiences with you by letting you see my recent history. I didn't realize you'd be scared," she fretted. "I know some people don't like it. But I wasn't thinking. Please forgive me."

"Uh, sure Ness. I forgive you. Just warn me before you do it next time, would you please? And I'd rather not see anything ... upsetting."

"Okay. Can I have a hug?"

"Sure, honey. Okay." Ben stood up. Edward put a hand on his arm.

"Ben, hold very still, please," Edward smiled gently to soften the warning. Nessie put her arms gingerly around Ben. After a few seconds, she sighed and released him. Thus, Ben became the first human being to hug Renesmee Cullen Black after the change.

"So, Mother, how am I doing?" she asked, sporting a cheeky smile worthy of Edward.

"Ah, we'll keep you," Bella said nonchalantly. "Are you going to say 'hello' to your children, or what?"

"Do you think it's safe?" Renesmee blinked again.

"Are you thirsty?" Carlisle asked seriously.

Renesmee's hand wandered uncertainly to her throat. "Um, I'm not sure. My throat tickles. Can I just say 'hello'?"

"Yes, but I don't think it would be very wise for you to hold them before you've hunted," Carlisle suggested. Renesmee's hand flew to her throat, and she gulped loudly, her eyes large.

"Yeah, you're thirsty. Say 'hello' and then you can go get some food," Edward suggested.

Renesmee sat down on the couch between Esme and Carlisle. Esme held up Lottie, who squeaked a little at being disturbed, and showed her to Nessie.

Nessie looked like she might cry, if that were possible. "Look, Jake, she has your nose. Isn't she cute? And your hair."

"Looks more like Alice's hair used to," Jake grinned. "I never knew before that her old style was based on messy baby head."

"Shut up, mutt." Alice folded her arms. She was wearing her hair longer now. It waved beautifully around her neck.

"Whatever. The girls have your face shape, Ren, and your hands. I bet their eyes will be the same brown as yours, too, sweetheart."

"They are my hands, aren't they?" Renesmee's hands curled around Lottie's legs tenderly. She leaned over the baby, clearly in love with it.

Carlisle spoke softly over her shoulder. "Renesmee, you should greet Tina so you can ... go." He reached out for the baby, and I passed her into his arms. Renesmee froze as my arm brushed close by her face. I froze too.

I lowered my arms carefully to my lap. After a minute or so, my niece relaxed and leaned over the baby. "Hello, Tina. Are you glad to see Mommy?"

The baby sniffed, and reached for her. Then, she cried the hungry, staccato cry common to all newborns. "What's she want?" Renesmee worried.

"Food," Jacob replied, rolling his eyes. "They're always hungry," he claimed.

Renesmee clutched her throat again, looking panicky. The strange calmness flooded the air again, and she relaxed.

"I think we're pushing our luck," Carlisle stated, lips pressed in a thin line. "Nessie, time for you to go hunting. Jacob, are you going with her?"

"Sure, sure," Jacob shrugged.

"Trust me, Jacob, you do not want to miss this hunt," Edward said, smiling crookedly. He and Bella exchanged a private look.

"Are you coming, too, Daddy? Momma?" Renesmee blinked shyly.

"For part of it, okay kiddo? Just 'til you get the hang of things. Then, we'll leave you and Jacob ... alone."

"Can I come too, Leech?" Leah wondered, looking anxiously between Nessie and Jake.

"Sure Smurfette. We're only going to stick around until Renesmee has caught a couple of animals, though, okay?" Edward said.

Emmett laughed a laugh that can only be described as 'dirty'. Bella smothered a smile, biting her lips.

"Emmett!" Edward said, rolling his eyes and running a hand through his hair.

"Sorry, Tough Guy. It's just that-"

"Em-mett!"

"Yes, bro?"

"Drop it."

"Yes, bro."

"Ness? Let's go. Don't bother with a coat. You'll only spoil it. You'll need your boots."

"Okay, Dad." Renesmee got up off the couch and disappeared. Literally. Moments later, she stepped out of the coat room, wearing her boots. Bella went into the coat room, returning with her own.

"Ready, Jacob?" Edward asked.

"Yep. Uh, Edward? How come you're gonna leave us alone out there? Don't you need to hunt, too?"

Edward stopped in his tracks and looked up at Jacob meaningfully. Edward's lip crooked upward slightly as he tried to psychically impart some message to his son-in-law. Dawn broke over Jake's features. Apparently, he 'got' whatever message he was meant to take from the exchange. "Ohhhh," he said, nodding. Edward clapped him on the back, and reached out for Bella's hand.

"We're heading east, Alice," Edward called over his shoulder.

"Fine," Alice said. "Stay away from the north. There are loggers out there today. Got your phones?"

"Yep." Edward waved dismissively over his shoulder, pushing open the heavy front door. I got up curiously and watched them go. They ran so fast that their outlines blurred. Leah and Jacob phased into wolf form, and bounded away. In moments, the five mythical creatures were gone.

The assembled humans and vampires resumed motion of their own, chatting about how well-controlled Nessie was and how different she appeared.

"Jasper? How's she _really_ doing?" Carlisle asked, looking at his son-in-law.

"She's her mother's daughter, Carlisle."

"Well, the fact that Jake is calm might have something to do with her mood, too. Remember how furious Edward was, because Jake imprinted on Ness? His mood had to have rubbed off on Bella. He was wired." Emmett stated.

"You'd have been wired too, had your perceived rival imprinted on your baby," Esme said softly.

"I really thought Edward was going to commit murder that day," Carlisle said again. Then, he laughed a little. "Took all of us to pry him off Jacob. It was a real horror show."

"Really?" I gaped.

"Edward wanted a daughter for a long time," Rosalie said, joining us on the couch. "You could hardly blame him."

"Still, he regained his self -control. Phenomenal man, Edward," Carlisle said.

"The compassion of his father, and the patience of Job," Jasper confirmed.

Claire walked up and leaned against Carlisle's leg. "Grandad?" she whined.

"Yes, Claire, what can I do for you?" He put his arm around her fondly.

"You vampires forget we need to eat. I've been waiting forever and I'm _starving_."

"I'm sorry, dove. Whose day is it?" Carlisle asked, looking around.

"Bella's," Rosalie said. "She left food ready in the kitchen, Carlisle."

"We should have covered for her today. Who hasn't eaten lunch?" Carlisle called to the room in general. A few hands went up, including mine and Ben's.

"Who wants to eat again?" Emily called. A lot more hands went up. "Okay, gang. I'll help out. Emmett, would you care to help serve?"

"Would I!" Emmett enthused. Claire skipped over and held his hand. They hurried out to the kitchen together.

Rosalie shook her head, watching Emmett go. "He's just a big kid," she remarked in disbelief. We stood up, and headed for the dining room. Half-way there, something small and black brushed against my legs. It streaked into the kitchen. I jumped a mile, clutching at my chest.

"What was that?" I demanded, chest heaving. "A rat?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "No silly. It's just one of the barn cats. Carlisle? There's a cat in the kitchen again."

Carlisle sighed. "Claire?" he called softly.

Claire reappeared, her mouth crammed full of cornbread. "Wha Gran-an?"

"Did you let Mungojerry in here again?"

"Mmph."

"You know it's against the rules. Please get him out of the kitchen and take him outside."

"Buh he'v hungry," Claire protested.

"He needs to eat the nice, fat mice so we don't have a problem with vermin around here," Carlisle admonished her. "You don't want a mouse in your bedroom, do you?"

"No."

"Go catch him, please."

"Yef Gran-an." Claire rolled her eyes, taking off dejectedly after the cat.

"Thank you, honey."

"Mungojerry?" I laughed.

"Yes. All the cats have names from 'Cats'. Mungojerry just happens to be Claire's favourite, because he lets her pick him up. Some of the cats are pretty wild. They've had their vaccinations, but it's best to take care of your skin around them."

"Why do you have a barn?" I wondered.

"Renesmee had a pony when she was little. When it passed away, we didn't replace it. After all, there are giant wolves around here if anybody wants to ride. Now, we just store our equipment and our grain there."

Bella had left large pots of chicken stew simmering in the kitchen. The humans were just finishing up eating when Leah came in through the back entrance in the kitchen, shaking snow out of her hair onto the floor.

"I dunno why you aren't worried about leaving a newborn alone with Jake," she said over her shoulder. Edward and Bella followed her into the room, stopping to stomp off their boots on the mat. It was strange to think that the three of them had been out in the cold all that time without coats.

"Jacob is perfectly safe, Smurfette. I wouldn't leave him alone with her if he weren't. Trust me, attacking him is _not_ what she has in mind," Edward said softly. Bella walked past him to speak with Esme and Carlisle about her granddaughters, who were drinking formula out of little glass bottles.

"I still think it's a ris-" Leah protested.

"Leah?" Edward stopped and faced her, regarding her with a gentle expression.

"Yeah, Leech?"

"They're mates. Let them be."

Leah's eyes flickered with understanding, and a sad expression flitted across her features, leaving her looking lost and alone. Edward stepped closer and drew her into a one-armed hug. Her curtain of glossy black hair hung down, obscuring her face. Edward whispered in her ear. Had I not been right beside them, I never would have heard. "Give it time. Have faith."

"What if there isn't-" she snarled, eyes vulnerable.

"There will be. Don't give up."

Leah stifled a sob, leaning against him, then pushed away and ran from the room.

"Typical Leah," Embry muttered in the corner. "Always upset about something."

"Embry," Edward remonstrated, not even raising his voice. "That's enough."

"Yes sir, I'm sorry."

It was strange hearing Embry call Edward 'sir'. Strange, watching seemingly older men defer to him.

"Well, I can't help it if I have the body of a prepubescent girl," he said to me, eyes rolling.

"_There_'s a load of hooey," Bella murmured.

Sam joined in from his place at the other table. "Leah is not to be teased," he reminded the shape shifters. Ben looked at me questioningly. I would have to fill him in, later. Edward turned his attention back to our table. He smiled and patted the boys' heads gently, then took Bella's hand.

"So did Nessie catch something?" I asked curiously.

"Yes. A big buck." Bella turned aside and spoke to Emily. "We brought it home to be butchered up." Emily nodded.

"We're getting a lot of venison in the ice house," Esme said in concern. "We need some different meat."

"Well, Emmett brought home that bear. Leah wants the skin for something. But I don't know if the humans will find it appetizing." Edward stated.

"Probably not," Bella replied. "It'll be awfully tough."

"We could send the boys to trade venison for chicken and fish," Esme suggested.

"Yes, I think we should," Carlisle decided. "Can they go to Midland on Saturday?"

"Don't see why not," Sam responded. "Edward?" Sam looked at him, communicating something nonverbal.

"Yeah, I'll talk to her Sam."

"You'll remind her?" he said, eyes downcast.

"Of course."

"I wish she..." he stopped. "But it took you a long time, right?"

"Eighty-five years."

Emily bit her lips and brushed back Sam's hair from his shoulder. Alice entered the dining room, skipping over to join the conversation. She was beaming.

"Let _me _talk to Leah," she demanded.

"You _Saw_ something, didn't you?" Edward asked, eyes narrowing.

"She's moving out," Alice said cheerfully. The Cullens looked at her, shocked. Alice glanced around, finally absorbing the atmosphere. "Not permanently," she clarified. "She's going away to finish her schooling. And she'll find her mate."

A collective gasp went round the room, followed by a sigh of relief. The younger Quileutes gave each other high fives.

"I'm coming with you to tell her, Alice," Edward informed his sister.

"Okay."

"Edward?" Bella asked quietly. "I could use some help with some ... paperwork. In about, say, twenty minutes?" She brushed back his errant forelock, wet with melted snow. He looked down at her, eyes smouldering.

"I am always happy to help you with ... administrative details," he murmured, kissing her on each corner of her mouth. Bella smiled at him meaningfully.

"Eeeew!" Claire declared, pretending to stuff her finger down her throat and making retching noises.

"Claire! Enough. Grow up." Sam admonished her.

"Sam, enjoy that while it lasts. Your days are numbered. She won't always think it's gross," Edward said solemnly.

"Edward! Leah's changed her mind about running away. If she doesn't leave within the hour she'll never meet her mate. Rosalie, Emily? Come help her pack. She has to be out of the house in ten minutes." Alice was bouncing up and down with distress.

Letting loose Bella's hand, Edward hurried for the door. On the way out, Jasper smacked him on the backside, eliciting a hiss. Edward looked at him, the picture of offended innocence, then strutted out. Alice tagged along behind.

"The Bimbo's just not fun to tease anymore," Emmett lamented to Jasper.

"He doesn't like it when you call him that," Jasper said pensively.

"Fine. Tough Guy's no fun to tease anymore." Emmett frowned.

"We just have to find better subject matter to rile him with. Nessie and Jacob, perhaps." Jasper mused.

"Boys!" Esme barked.

"_Yes,_ Mother," they chorused, groaning.

Five minutes later, we were assembled in the Great Room again, in time to see Leah fly down the stairs with a large, brown pair of saddle bags, flanked by Alice, Edward and Emily. She rushed into the coat room, and came back carrying suede boots, a hat, mittens and a long, buckskin coat. She stuffed everything into the bags, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement, and a huge grin on her face.

"Tell Seth I'm sorry I missed him," she said quickly, while hugging various people good-bye. "You'll look after him, right?"

"He'll be fine with us," Edward reassured her. "Your mother, too. Besides, we'll probably see you again before long."

"And tell Ren and Jake I said 'good-bye'." Leah hopped up and down, trying to remove her shoes quickly.

"Of course."

Esme confiscated the bags and stuffed some sandwiches and Coke cans inside. "Don't forget to eat," she warned.

"I couldn't eat now," Leah laughed. Her white teeth gleamed and her face flushed. She looked radiant.

"See ya around, bloodsuckers," she teased.

"See ya, mutt," Emmett shot back.

Leah made a frenzied run for the door. She stopped dead, barefoot on the threshold. She did not turn around, but addressed the door handle.

"Leech?"

"Yeah, Fluffy?" Edward answered, his expression sad.

"Love ya."

"Yeah. Love you, too."

And she was gone.


	21. Chapter 21: Rarities

**Chapter 21: Rarities**

**Apologies, that this story is taking so long to update. Part of the delay is because of my reluctance to give away upcoming secrets pertaining to 'I Hunger', which is in the same canon as this story, but commences four and a half years earlier.**

**Thank you to jvcoleman, who caught a discrepancy that I missed. Yay for you! I fixed it, and I'm not telling anybody what it was. Only those of you with photographic memories are going to be disturbed. LOL**

**Okay, my lovelies. Help? Please?**

**I have a core group of wonderful people who review, pm, favourite, and generally give me their love. And I'm grateful. I have responded to every single signed review and pm, and I plan to continue to do so. My readers are a blessing to me. **

**Some people have reviewed every single chapter I have published. That's... 120 chapters as of 5/27/10. Yes, I do notice:) Some day, when you are least expecting it, you will get a special reward. Because I value your dedication. Thank you.**

**Tuesday, 5/25/10, my stats report that _not one person_ read a single one of my stories on ffnet. In eight months, that has never happened.**

**So, being a sappy date, who craves her daily fix of praise, I am begging for two things: First, if you don't do this regularly, will you do something this week to tell me you're hanging with me? Review, favourite, recommend, pimp, pm, nominate, do something to help me add to my audience. I love my audience. I wish I could sit you all down in a room and read aloud to you. Trust me I do not take a single one of you for granted. However, the more the merrier.**

**Second, if anybody has time and talent, I would be tickled to death if you would make me a banner or start up a thread/community (except I don't have time to Twitter). You know I love to get to know my readers, and if you put in the effort, I will be there. Often.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Music belongs to its rightful owners. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is unintentional. Antiquated political and social views belong to antiquated characters (who have incidentally, outgrown them), and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of this author.**

**You may hear the music from this chapter on my new playlist: youtubedotcom/jmollytwilight2/LAF, beginning at #7. I have already added the music from previous chapters.**

"**The Widow Maker, and St Anne's Reel", played by Big John McNeil**

"**Belgium Put the Kybosh on the Kaiser" **was a popular song in 1915, and appeared in the movie

"Oh! What a Lovely War" in 1969. The song is a genuine piece of WWI propaganda.

"**God Sees the Little Sparrow Fall" **

"**The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing",** by Irving Berlin, appeared in the movie "Holiday Inn".

"**El Primer Paso (Eduardo Diaz)", played by Melinda Toth**

**The Quileute legend of Thunderbird is paraphrased, and the original summary can be found at wwwdotquileutesdotcom**

**February 18th 2014**

_**Angela's pov:**_

"We feel like bad hosts, leaving you and Ben unattended all the time," Bella lamented, biting her lip.

"Nonsense. We're fine with the _Kwali Ute_. You should mind your menfolk," I stated cheerfully. I was used to entertaining myself. The mere presence of mythical creatures could keep me enthralled for hours. And maybe the Wolf People would have time to tell me another of their legends.

"They should be awake soon," Esme stated. "You've come at a good time, Angela. You've managed to see all sorts of rare things".

"You really never sleep?" I asked Esme. Gosh. I love my sleep. I couldn't imagine giving it up.

"No. Only the males do, and this time it's premature, because of all the stress we've had during the past few years. Normally, it's at least 20 years between naps, and this time it's only been seven." Esme chucked a couple more logs on the fire, which hissed and spat fine embers onto the slate hearth. She hesitated, watching them burn. Emily came out of the kitchen and stepped on them, putting them out. Esme thanked her. I looked at them quizzically.

"Vampires are a little ... flammable," Bella informed me, grimacing.

"Oh," I said brilliantly.

Claire came in, plopped down at the piano, and started running over her scales. Emily poked her head out of the kitchen again, and asked her to please delay her practise until later. She suggested the child go out and feed the chickens. Off went Claire to fetch her coat. I bet she was eager to play with the cats.

Esme continued. "Nobody expected trouble from Caius and his goons. Nobody expected Edward to become a sire of so many lost souls. First, negotiating with Aro. Staking out territories. Watching our colony in Brazil. Bella's pregnancy and Ren's birth. Jacob imprinting on her. All the craziness of going to Dartmouth, bringing up baby, leaving Forks, finding and building this place, making up new cover stories, the trouble in the Amazon, and then Ren elopes with Jacob and comes home announcing she's pregnant. Then, Leah's Imprint topped it all off. I'm surprised Edward didn't fall asleep a lot sooner, although I'm glad that he didn't."

"No, it wouldn't have been fun, dealing with Ren without all the men around to help," Bella murmured.

"I'm surprised the rest of them fell asleep at the same time," Rosalie admitted, reading her knitting pattern. She was making baby shawls for her great nieces.

"Well, they've all been stressed out, too," Esme stated.

I listened to the conversation, fascinated. Apparently, our male vampires built up some kind of stress hormone in their bodies that they couldn't eliminate. So they slept, upon rare occasions, to get rid of it. Apparently, the initial phase could be unnerving, since the napping male would stop breathing. Then, he would list out everything that had distressed him since the previous nap. After that, there was a period of human-like sleep, which would be followed by what sounded like a potentially highly-amusing session of sleepwalking.

When I asked why females didn't sleep, the wives said it was probably because of testosterone. Nobody really explained the process of how males got to sleep. I had asked everyone, and even Rosalie had changed the subject, so it was probably something to do with the fact that Edward and Bella disappeared to do a little book keeping, and did not reappear all day.

That night, Edward talked to Leah about her Imprint. The next morning, Bella came down and informed everyone that Edward was napping, and the other males pretty much fluttered their eyelashes at their respective females, and whisked them away. The _Kwali_, and humans, were apparently meant to fend for themselves.

The _Kwali_ had been snickering ever since. A lot. Bella finally had threatened to run them through the chipper shredder if they refused to stop making fun. I often wondered if she ever had tried out the chipper-shredder. They did have one. It was out behind the barn under a big tarp.

This morning, Sam had gathered the wolves up and forced them all outside to play hockey. It was blizzard-ing out. Yeah, like _that_ mattered. Lucky dogs were never cold.

Ben, realizing that there were no men to play with, took off to our room for a nap of his own. Which left the females to their own devices. One of which, happily, seemed to be to entertain me.

"Ang?" Bella asked shyly, chewing her lip.

"Yes, Bella?"

"I was wondering ... well, I don't think Edward would mind. He thinks of you as his little sister. I thought perhaps, you might like to see him sleep."

I blushed a little. "Well, I can't deny that I'm interested, Bella," I said hesitantly. "He sometimes seems so alien, and at others so human. But isn't that kind of personal? I mean, I know he's a very private person. I'll never forget the day all the females barged into his room and ... interrupted you. He was livid. I don't think I'll ever forget how he stood there and told us all off."

"Well, I certainly won't," Bella said, eyes rolling. "But it's not like you'd be interrupting anything this time. The other female relatives have all had a peek at him. I've been in to look at the other males, too. It's ... endearing. They look so peaceful. So human. I just thought maybe..."

I smiled at Bella. "If it's not intrusive, I would like to see. Thank you for the invitation."

"It's fine. Come on, before he starts sleepwalking." Bella motioned for me to follow.

"They'll be up soon," Alice smiled, ending off another row of stitches and turning her work.

"Yeah, Edward mostly had small stuff to clear out," Bella shrugged. "Except for the Italian conflicts and beating the tar out of Jacob. He spent a lot of time sweeping _those_ cobwebs, let me tell you."

"He really beat Jacob up?" I asked.

"He really did. And Jake had it coming," Bella stated, brow arched.

Bella took my hand and we headed up the wide staircase. Soon, we were at her door. She stopped outside it to whisper to me. "Let me just go in and make sure he's still properly covered."

"Okay." I stood out in the hallway, feeling a bit awkward.

Bella was back almost instantly, beckoning me in with a soft smile. I crept into the room.

I had never been in their room before, but it wasn't much different to the one in which Ben and I were residing. There were many more personal possessions in it, that was all. And I'd have liked to spend more time looking at those. Perhaps another time, Bella would show me.

The floor was the usual warm maple hardwood, and the small gas fireplace in the corner cast warmth into the room. There were two skin rugs on the floor. The first was a lambskin, the second a mountain lion, complete with teeth. Genuine, I realized. I wondered who was responsible for them, knowing Bella and Edward's history.

Pictures in glinting brass frames dotted the log walls, and there was a dark blue, double wedding ring quilt on the bed. Bella's old rocking chair stood in the corner. A bathroom was situated against the outside wall, on Bella's side of the bed, and two more doors stood between it and the door to the room. The first had louvres. It was obviously a closet. The middle one was a mystery.

There was a small light on Edward's bedside drawers, shedding a soft glow onto the bed. I exchanged a conspirator's smile with Bella. She drew me closer to Edward, and stood with her arms around me and her head resting against my arm. We watched her husband sleep.

Edward lay on his side, his curls crushed and messy on the pillow. His hand lay open, relaxed, upon it, palm up. His dark lashes were long on his cheek, and the lower eyelid held no hint of purple. There were no smudges of tiredness, I realized. His skin was a consistent, pale peach.

He looked far, far younger than usual, even if he _was_ in need of a shave. He looked like ... a kid.

I realized that in the doctored pictures I had been shown, many years ago, of Renesmee's 'birth' parents, Edward had looked very similar. He'd had a beard then. He must have shaved it off before they took the baby out in public, to help with the charade. I knew I'd be asking Bella about it when we got back downstairs.

Bella was right. My protective, 'older' brother was charming when asleep. Like a little boy. And he looked so much younger than me, now. Eleven years younger. Yet for some reason, I always thought of him as my 'big' brother.

I wondered, if I lived to be a hundred, whether I would still feel that way, or if I would grow to see him as something more like a son.

Or perhaps I'd smarten up and realize that age and maturity have nothing to do with grey hair, and everything to do with behaviour.

Edward stirred, shifted, and turned onto his back, and his small gold cross tumbled onto his throat. He sighed, and settled, with a soft smile. Bella pulled back from me, and with a last, adoring look at her mate, took my hand and led me back out. I blinked in the relative brightness of the hallway.

My best friend looked at me expectantly.

"Thank you, Bella."

"You're welcome."

"He looks so peaceful. So young," I marvelled.

"Yes. Naps do them so much good. He'll be stress-free for a while. More able to cope with frustrations, more laid-back..."

"The beard. I've never seen him unshaven. He had it, for the pictures you took to show outsiders when Renesmee was born, didn't he?"

Bella chuckled. "Yes, he did. He grew it on the honeymoon, but decided he had to shave it off to preserve the cover story of the day. He wasn't very happy about losing it."

"Well, he looks like a kid without it," I shrugged. Bella gave me a funny smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, Bella." I stopped her before we could reach the landing. "Did I offend you? Does it ... bother you, looking like an eighteen year old?"

She had actually celebrated her 19th birthday a couple of months before Ren was born, but she had stopped aging when she became pregnant.

Bella snorted. "Not. It took me almost a year and a half to talk Edward into keeping me forever. I'll never regret it."

"I'm glad. I like seeing you unchanging. But does it bother you that I am changing? That Ben and I are aging?" I worried.

"No, Ang. How you change doesn't matter. You'll always be my friend, and you've chosen to stay human. This life isn't for everybody. Perhaps you'll meet God before I do. Perhaps not. Who knows? If you beat me to Heaven, put a word in for me and my family, will ya?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. Like my prayers are better than yours?"

Bella put her hands on my arms. "Your prayers are just as good as mine." She stepped onto the landing. "God likes Edward's prayers best, though."

"Ya think?"

"Yup. He likes the lamb turned mountain lion turned sheep. Or perhaps he's one of the shepherds, now."

"Renesmee's birth. How else did you doctor those pictures?" I wondered as we descended. As I recalled, they had been flawless, and the 'mother' had looked quite different from Bella, and the 'father' more than a little different from Edward, even though the man in the picture was meant to be his half-brother.

Bella huffed a laugh. "Alice is a genius at PhotoShop, believe it or not. She added highlights and shadows to our faces, turned me blond and blue-eyed, turned Edward darker auburn and green-eyed, and changed the shape of our mouths and chins. Probably took her all of ten minutes."

We snickered a little, over the mini-whirlwind that was Alice.

Bella led me over to the couch again, then moved to pick something up off of a distant table. An album: large, of black leather, tied with a faded black ribbon. I sat up eagerly. "Pictures?" I demanded.

"Authentic ones," she said proudly.

"Really? What year is it from?" I asked, curiosity consuming me.

"Oh, they aren't from a particular year," Esme said over her knitting. "We just took a couple of photos from everybody's collections and put them together. Only ones without childhood photos are Jasper and Carlisle."

"Wow."

Bella put the old album on my knee and sat next to me. She opened the cover and showed me the first, black-matted page. "They're in the order the family was formed," Bella told me proudly.

I'm sure my mouth was hanging open. I was riveted.

Carlisle and Edward were wearing clothing almost a century out of date. Their poses were formal but the affection the men held for each other was evident. Edward stood with his hand on Carlisle's shoulder. Carlisle was seated on a hard-backed chair. Behind them, a case of books made an interesting backdrop.

"A patient took that in return for treatment," Bella informed me. "1929, in Indiana. Carlisle and Edward posed as brothers, then."

The next was a sharp black-and-white of Carlisle, alone. He had on a doctor's coat, black trousers and highly-polished shoes, and his hair was slicked back. It was labelled '1925'.

"Aren't there any earlier pictures of Carlisle?" I wondered.

"No. He didn't have a family or friends to share them with, and he never thought he would. Pictures are a danger to us. Humans might discover them, and question our age, so he never had any taken."

On the following page was a sepia tone picture of Edward as a knobby-kneed boy of about ten, wearing short pants and a big attitude. "Oh, my gosh," I gaped. "He looks exactly the same."

"Don't tell him that," Bella warned. "He thinks he looks dorky. He was mad at his mother for having his picture taken in short pants. All his friends had graduated to long ones."

I flipped the page up, carefully. The next, small pictures were of little girls in white dresses: Esme, Rosalie and Alice, I realized. "The little girl photos are so cute. Is that all there are of Edward?" I flipped the page again, and discovered Esme in her cocktail-length wedding dress.

There were pictures of Em and Rose in formal, 1940's style clothing, marked 'The Stork Club', and one of Jazz and Alice in love beads with long hair and androgynous clothing. I particularly liked the one of the three boys, dressed like 1950's greasers: leather jackets and all.

"You mean childhood photos?" Bella wondered. "That's the only one he's willing to display on a regular basis. He has quite a few. Carlisle was able to liberate quite a few mementos and family heirlooms from the Masen house before the solicitor came to sort it out. He spirited some truly special things out from under Edward's step-siblings noses."

"Does Edward have a baby picture?" I grinned, admiring one labelled with Alice's name. In it, she had black curls and a ringlet caught up in a bow on top of her head. Her skirt had sharp white pleats that flared out. She had to have been about a year old.

"Well, he has one where he's about two or three. He's wearing a white sailor dress and -we think- brown shoes with straps and buttons."

Baby Edward in a dress? Holy cow. "Can I see it, Bella? Please?" I begged.

"Um, I don't know. He gets so embarrassed, and I don't want him to be upset," Bella said, chewing her lip.

"He's asleep, Bella," Alice said, eyes rolling. "Here, Ang." She held out a small frame. I reached out for it eagerly.

"Oh, this is so adorable," I enthused.

"Alice!" Bella growled.

"What? It'll be fine. Besides, you're showing Ang mine."

"Come on, sister. You love showing off that picture. It took you enough years to get any. How many did Cynthia give you?"

"Ten. Edward is coming down in fifteen minutes. I'll take it back to your room, then. He won't even notice."

"When he comes down, will he be awake?" Bella asked cautiously.

"Nope. Sleepwalking," Alice said in a sing-song voice.

"Decent?" Bella asked, eyes narrowed.

"Yep. Pyjama pants and robe," Alice confirmed. "I've got the video camera ready for when the guys start being funny."

"Okay," Bella smirked. "He didn't believe me, last time."

"He will if we get him on film," Alice sang.

"Blackmail?" I chuckled.

"More of an 'I told you so', claimed Rosalie.

"See, Angela, when they sleepwalk, they think their human," Alice said.

"The last time Edward napped, he ate raw stewing meat, thinking it was popcorn," Bella smirked, picking up some knitting. "And he drank tea."

I gaped, not quite sure how to respond to that.

"Carlisle always drinks coffee. He usually gets really wired, and then he tries to drive to work. He loves work," Esme said fondly.

The front door opened, admitting a gust of freezing air and some snow, followed by Renesmee and Jacob. They stomped their feet carefully on the mat and brushed slush out of their hair.

"Well, well, well. If it's not my kids," Bella said teasingly. "Get tired of the snow?"

"Yeah," Renesmee said, a little bashfully.

"You're not going to eat your Auntie Angel, are you? Because all the men are occupied and cannot guard her," Bella continued.

"Seriously, Mother," Renesmee sighed.

"The deer population around here is now severely depleted," Jake said proudly.

"How many did you get this time?" Rose wondered.

" 'Bout eight," Renesmee shrugged.

"Eight? Holy cow," Bella gawped.

"Children? Stop dripping on the floor," Esme growled softly.

"Sorry, Gram," Renesmee said sheepishly, pulling her husband into the cloak room. Jacob emerged moments later bearing a mop, which he swished through the slushy trail. He exited back into the cloak room, and before long, giggles and whispers could be heard.

"Get a room," Rosalie called. "There are kids around."

Jacob cleared his throat loudly, and the pair came back out, hand in hand. "Sorry."

"No, you're not," Bella stated.

"What's with the knitting circle?" Renesmee asked. "Usually the men are out here, demanding attention."

"Hey," Jake protested. "We just love you."

"Like I said," my niece groaned with an eye roll, concreting the resemblance to her father.

"They're asleep," Esme said.

Renesmee gawped. "Really?"

"Yep. Seems you two have been stressing Dad out," Bella teased.

"I will only accept partial responsibility for that, Mom. Seems to me some of it's your fault, and some of it's the Brazilians', and some of it's Caius's, and some of it's Leah's."

"Okay, I give. But you're lucky Jake is still alive. Had Edward not accepted that your mate bond is genuine, Jake would be in trouble."

"He does forgive me, right?" Jacob asked nervously, combing his fingers through his shoulder-length hair.

"I dunno ... Eloping with a minor? Putting our daughter through pregnancy with twins?" Bella eyed her son-in-law from under her lashes, head tilted a little to the side.

Renesmee growled softly, and all the women laughed.

"Just joshing," Bella said, brows raised. "Not trying to provoke the Newborn."

"Speaking of," Jacob interrupted, looking nervously from Nessie to Bella, "where are my kids?"

"Kim stole them again," Esme volunteered. "If you're going to see them, at least make sure you come back in time to see the males when they start wandering around. If we don't have any more cataclysms, it's apt to be another 20 to 50 years before you get the chance to see it again."

"Just remember to give them their own way if they insist on it," Rose advised. "Don't wake them, and don't tell them something's not healthy for them. They're not 'all there' upstairs, don't forget."

"Just let the wives handle them," Alice added.

"Um, sure, sure. Ness? Let's go see the babies." Jacob took Nessie's hand and started to lead her away.

"Hah. You might want to wait," Alice smirked, needles clacking.

Someone's tread was upon the stair. Bella got up, and went to the foot of the staircase, smiling. "Hello, Beautiful. Did you have a nice nap?"

"Yes." Edward ran a hand through his hair, looking blank. "Angel?"

"Yes, love?"

"It's chilly."

"Aw, Sweetie. Is your robe not warm enough?"

Edward seemed to think about that for a few minutes. "No," he answered, brow furrowed.

"Why don't you come and sit by the fire," Bella suggested.

"Okay." Edward allowed himself to be led over to the massive fireplace at the back of the room. He touched the stubble on his chin, then looked at his fingers as though surprised to find it there. "Angel?"

"Yes, love?"

"I had the strangest dream," he said, rubbing his eyes roughly with his knuckles. Bella pulled his hand down and stroked it.

"Did you?" she crooned.

"Yeah. I dreamed I was a vampire and I killed a deer."

"That's what he said last time, apparently," Esme whispered to me. "They have to reconcile their disparate realities."

I nodded understandingly.

Edward was watching Alice knit. "Excuse me, Miss?"

"Yes?" Alice said, quivering with suppressed excitement as usual.

"You seem to have dropped a stitch."

"Aw, heck. I hate it when that happens," Alice lamented mendaciously. Bella muttered something about evil psychic pixies.

"If you would allow me, Miss," Edward offered, holding out his hand.

"Thanks," Alice grinned, handing over the knitting. She grinned at Bella wickedly.

Bella whispered, "Oh, he's going to _love _having everyone know about this," and rolled her eyes.

"Molly says the Suffragettes are meeting Tuesday night." Edward said, unravelling about two hundred rows of knitting. Putting the needle back through the loops, he started knitting at an incredible speed. I gawped at him in disbelief.

"Where'd he learn to knit?" Esme whispered, gawping.

"Jem taught me. I want to start a new cable knit pullover since mine was poorly made, and a vest for my Ren, and a cardigan for my Bella," Edward informed us, needles busily working up inches of even, beautifully tensioned stitches.

"That's lovely dear," Esme smiled.

"Are you going to the rally?" Bella wondered.

"Maybe. As long as Mother doesn't find out."

Esme looked a little confused.

"Elizabeth," Bella mouthed. Esme nodded understandingly.

"I wouldn't want Father to get out his belt. Are you sure it's safe?" Bella asked.

"Hell. He hasn't struck me since I went to the poker game with Laurie. God help me if he finds out about the cigarettes." Edward felt around on his chest as though searching for something. "I appear to be out. Crap! Angel? What am I going to do? Molly will be so disappointed if I don't bring her some, and there's no time to go to the store."

"Aw, love. Smoking is bad for you, anyway."

Edward frowned crossly. "It's _not_ bad for you. It makes life tolerable. Boy, you should smell everybody in the summer heat. They have a horrible stench. What makes you think cigarettes are bad? Everybody smokes. And they're calming. Why, I love sitting with Molly after my lesson. She's counting on me. I'll let her down."

Edward seemed to be getting agitated. Sighing, Rosalie stood up and went over to him. "Mr Masen?" she said, pulling a silver case out of her sweater pocket.

"Yes. Miss?"

"Hale. You may have one of my cigarettes, and a couple to give Molly, if you promise to smoke them outside. Our mother does not allow smoking in this house. She thinks it is a vice."

"I would not wish to give offence to your mother, young lady. Thank you so much for your kindness. I shall tell Molly that a young lady procured these for her," Edward said, smiling solemnly and accepting the cancer sticks. He passed Alice's knitting back to her. Renesmee gasped, gawping after her Dad.

"Beautiful? Let Angel show you outside, to a place where you may smoke in peace." Bella said, pulling Edward up by the elbow and steering him toward the dining room exit. He stopped, put her hand in the crook of his arm, and sauntered out like he was Cary Grant, the unlit cigarette dangling from his lip.

I gaped at Rosalie. "He smoked?" I asked incredulously.

Rosalie's nose wrinkled. "They all did. So did Esme and I. Alice didn't. She and Bella are the only ones in the family who never smoked. And now, tobacco smells horrible to us, thank goodness. Really poisonous. But when the men sleep, they revert. And smoking is so addictive, they fall back into the addiction, even though the tobacco smells and tastes awful to them."

"That's sad," I remarked.

"Yes. But it's lucky I had these ready for Emmett. It's not good to thwart their wishes when they're sleepwalking. Emmett's first nap was not a pretty thing."

"It certainly wasn't. I thought we'd have to move after," Esme sighed. "Oh, speak of the devil," she remarked.

Rose got up to fetch Emmett. "Hello, Emmy Bear," she smiled.

"Hello, young lady." Emmett leaned over, giving his wife the eye. She steered him all the way to the piano.

"Here, love. Play something for me," she suggested, handing him a fiddle. Alice got out the video camera, and started taping.

Emmett tuned the fiddle, and began to play an extremely complicated reel. Various humans wandered in to watch him.

"He can't play at all when he's awake," Esme murmured to me, a little sadly. "He doesn't remember how. It seems to be a mental block. He can play all sorts of beautiful things until you ask him to play something specific, then he blanks out. No matter what we try, he can't be taught."

I turned my eyes to Emmett, shocked. He ended his reel with a flourish.

"Play another one for me, Em?" Rosalie begged.

"Uh, sure, pretty lady. A waltz, just for you. If you'll give me a cigarette after," Emmett played again, and the assembled humans and vampires clapped. I felt a lump swell my throat.

Edward and Bella came back through the dining room entrance. "I just don't _understand_. It was my brand. Must have been a bad batch. Lot of cheating in manufacturing these days," he muttered, as Bella tut-tutted at him. They went to sit near Emmett's end of the room, so I changed seats to eavesdrop.

Emmett started playing a cheeky-sounding tune. Edward turned to Bella and me, muttering _sotto voce_. "Variety music. My parents do not approve, you know. But it's only in fun. I don't understand the harm in it."

"No harm in it love," Bella said, stroking his hand. "Just enjoy it. Nothing to worry about."

"Okay, Angel. Um..." he ran his hand through his hair, then resumed his formal posture. Who sits up straight on the edge of a couch, for Pete's sake?

"What is it, love?" Bella asked soothingly.

"I would like some tea. Do you think the lady running this evening's soireé might be providing refreshments? She sounds like an awful old battleaxe," Edward fretted.

"I will go and enquire. The daughter is my friend," Bella said, standing up and turning toward the kitchen as Emmett took a bow.

Edward took her hand, and kissed the back of it. "Thank you, my angel." He watched her go, then turned to look at me, somewhat vaguely. "Do you suppose there will be dancing later?" he wondered.

"Um, I don't know Mr ... Masen."

"You know, I think this lady may not think it improper. She has, after all, allowed her young violinist to play most risqué songs."

"Risqué?" I wondered. To my amazement, Edward started to sing a jaunty tune. Rosalie listened a minute, and started to play along with him.

_A silly German sausage  
Dreamt Napoleon he'd be,  
Then he went and broke his promise,  
It was made in Germany.  
He shook hands with Britannia  
And eternal peace he swore,  
Naughty boy, he talked of peace  
While he prepared for war._

_He stirred up little Serbia  
To serve his dirty tricks  
But naughty nights at Liege  
Quite upset this Dirty Dick.  
His luggage labelled 'England'  
And his programme nicely set,  
He shouted 'First stop Paris',  
But he hasn't got there yet._

_For Belgium put the kibosh on the Kaiser;  
Europe took the stick and made him sore;  
On his throne it hurts to sit,  
And when John Bull starts to hit,  
He will never sit upon it any more._

_His warships sailed upon the sea,  
They looked a pretty sight  
But when they heard the bulldog bark  
They disappeared from sight.  
The Kaiser said 'Be careful,  
If by Jellicoe they're seen,  
Then every man-of-war I've got  
Will be a submarine'._

_We chased his ship to Turkey,  
And the Kaiser startled stood,  
Scratch'd his head and said 'Don't hurt,  
You see I'm touching wood';  
Then Turkey brought her warships  
Just to aid the German plot,  
Be careful, Mr Turkey,  
Or you'll do the Turkey Trot._

_Belgium put the kibosh on the Kaiser;  
Europe took the stick and made him sore;  
And if Turkey makes a stand  
She'll get gurkha'd and japanned,  
And it won't be Hoch the Kaiser any more._

_He'll have to go to school again  
And learn his geography,  
He quite forgot Britannia  
And the hands across the sea,  
Australia and Canada,  
the Russian and the Jap,  
And England looked so small  
He couldn't see her on the map._

_Whilst Ireland seemed unsettled,  
'Ah' said he 'I'll settle John',  
But he didn't know the Irish  
Like he knew them later on.  
Though the Kaiser stirred the lion,  
Please excuse him for the crime,  
His lunatic attendant  
Wasn't with him at the time._

_For Belgium put the kibosh on the Kaiser;  
Europe took the stick and made him sore;  
We shall shout with victory's joy,  
Hold your hand out, naughty boy,  
You must never play at soldiers any more._

_For Belgium put the kibosh on the Kaiser;  
Europe took the stick and made him sore;  
On his throne it hurts to sit,  
And when John Bull starts to hit,  
He will never sit upon it any more._

Edward finished the song, and everyone clapped. Jacob was looking a little gobsmacked. Probably unused to seeing Edward do anything so ... silly. As for Edward, he went back to addressing me with his crooked grin. "Irving Berlin, too," he leaned in conspiratorially. "Even Jolson," he whispered. "Perhaps our hostess is a Suffragist."

"Perhaps," I agreed. "Can you tell me about Molly?"

Edward looked both ways. "I should not wish to expose her to any condemnation," he fretted, "for she is alone and unprotected in the world. And besides, Mother will discontinue my lessons if she finds out."

I was intrigued. "I won't tell. I'm a Suffragette myself."

"Beware going to meetings. I hear some of the young ladies have been most dreadfully abused. Some of them have even been starved and beaten in prison," my vampire fretted, biting his lip.

"I thank you for your concern. I shall certainly take care," I affirmed.

"Molly teaches me piano."

"Ah," I said, smiling.

"Mother thinks she is most dreadfully proper, but I fear she is not. She is a feminist," he declared, looking about like spies might come out of the woodwork.

I tried not to swallow my tongue. "And what think you of that, Mr Masen?"

"I think it would be a kindness to womankind to grant them some rights, Miss?"

"Weber."

"Ah. The Little Angel of Forks," he said nonchalantly. After a few minutes, he added, "Bella is a Seraph."

"I know."

"She loves me," Edward declared, listening to the piano. Rosalie had taken over for Em, who was now sitting on the bench beside her. Rose was running through some hymns.

"She certainly does," I confirmed.

"I love her, too," he told me conspiratorially.

I laughed. "Yes, I know that, too." I smiled as Claire came and stood by Rosalie. She had some straw in her hair, which Rose picked out.

Claire started to sing in a sweet, high voice. Bella stopped in the kitchen doorway, two mugs of tea in her hand. She did not move, but listened to Claire.

_God sees the little sparrow fall,  
It meets His tender view;  
If God so loves the little birds,  
I know He loves me, too._

(Refrain) He loves me, too, He loves me, too,  
I know He loves me, too;  
Because He loves the little things,  
I know He loves me, too.

He paints the lily of the field,  
Perfumes each lily bell;  
If He so loves the little flow'rs,  
I know He loves me well.

Refrain

God made the little birds and flow'rs,  
And all things large and small;  
He'll not forget his little ones,  
I know He loves them all.

Refrain 

In the middle of the song, Carlisle appeared, and Esme rushed to intercept him. He was wearing medical scrubs and heading, with determination, for the front door. Whispering, Esme coaxed him to come back into the room and be seated. Like Edward, he sat stiffly, one foot slightly in front of the other on the floor, hands in his lap. Once he was settled, everyone gave their attention back to Claire. She held us all in her small hands, spellbound.

When the song was over, everyone clapped, and Bella brought Edward his tea and handed me the other mug. It was, as always, made to my personal order. Bella, after all, never forgets.

"Truly, 'tis a shame the service is over," Carlisle declared in a strong British accent. "For there is naught proper to do of a Sunday afternoon except listen to dissertations on sermons, and my father's are most exceeding frightly and improper for the ears of young ladies. It worrits me that they may have shadows thrust upon their dreams."

"There, there, kind sir. Fear not, for the Reverent Mister is gone to old Mister Stephens', who is going to meet the Lord, and he shall not return many hours hence."

"Ah. Then we shall have a gentler book of sermons. Perhaps Sir Thomas Moore's?" Carlisle suggested. "Something on the matter of kindness, suitable for young ladies? Perhaps we might read of Corinthians?"

"An admirable pursuit, Mr Cullen," Esme suggested, pushing him onto the couch.

Carlisle sat still for about five minutes, then fidgeted. "It is a shame it is Sunday, for there shall be only cold meats and vegetables for supper, and I should dearly like a glass of coffee."

"Take you not tea, Mr Cullen?" Esme enquired, playing along most seriously.

"Alas, Milady, I much prefer coffee. It gets me through long shifts in the Emergency, you see."

"Ah, I see, Doctor Cullen. It is no longer Sunday. Perhaps you would like one?"

"Indeed I would, Milady, if it would not be an imposition to you," he confirmed, his accent all but gone.

"Please wait, and I shall bring you a mug of it," Esme declared.

I turned my attention to Edward, who was drinking his tea, blithely, while listening to Rosalie play. "She reminds me of my daughter," he remarked to the assembled individuals.

"He's getting close to waking up," Alice whispered in my ear. "Remembering things from recent times."

"Who does?" Bella asked her husband, smiling archly.

"The young lady playing the piano. They both have an eye for fashion and an ear for music, although I do think my daughter plays the guitar rather better than this young lady," he stated, gesturing at Rose.

"Would you like your daughter to play guitar for you?" Bella asked, clearly repressing laughter. Rosalie finished up her piece, rolled her eyes with a sarcastic air, and pulled Em over to sit with her.

"I always like to hear her," Edward said softly. "Especially when she plays what Nahuel taught her."

Jacob bristled a little. Renesmee rolled her eyes and whispered, "I'm married to you, aren't I?" Renesmee caressed his cheek and kissed him on top of his head. He appeared mollified.

"Here, Daddy. I'll play a little for you, shall I?" Renesmee retrieved a classical guitar from a stand beside the piano. She tuned it up, and began to play. Notes flowed from her fingers like water. I hadn't heard her play in years, and I was delighted.

"What do you think of my daughter? She plays well, doesn't she?" Edward asked softly, smiling crookedly at me.

"Yes. I think she is very like her father," I whispered.

"You like her playing then?" he asked softly, pulling out a cigarette and casting about for matches. Not finding any, he seemed to decide it was satisfactory, just having it in his mouth.

"I am mesmerized," I declared.

"Beware Franz Anton Mesmer," Carlisle declared. The English accent was back. "He plays with the minds of men. 'Tis unholy."

"Listen to the music," Esme suggested patiently.

Edward was now crooning along with the music Rosalie was playing. The cigarette was back in his pocket. "_The best things... Happen while you're dancing..."_

Suddenly, he hopped to his feet and twirled Bella around. "_Things that you would not do at home come nat'rally on the floor... For dancing..Soon becomes romancing ..."_

Thank God Alice was taping, because he was never going to believe later that he was copying Danny Kaye move for move. Wearing a white robe and plaid pyjama pants. Of course, Bella was doing a pretty good job of being Vera Lynn. They were not leaving an inch of the floor uncovered, and Bella was loving every second of it.

Esme addressed Carlisle again."Do you like your coffee?"

"Aye, but I fear to say, it would do better with more sugar," Carlisle declared, watching Renesmee. Esme took the mug, discovered it was empty, and returned with a fresh, steaming cup. Carlisle thanked her as she gave it to him.

"_Just provin' that the best things... Happen, when you dance!_" Edward finished, dipping Bella over his knee as he knelt on the carpet. Wow.

Jasper came barrelling down the stairs, stopping dead at the bottom and looking about wildly. "They're after me," he declared, eyes wild.

"Poor Jasper," Alice cooed, rushing to meet him. "Who is after you?"

"The pale women. Hide me, quickly," he yelped, grabbing up Alice's hands in his.

"Alright, Captain. I shall take you to my chambers," Alice said matter-of-factly.

"That would not be seemly," Jasper worried. "Is this a saloon?"

"Yes, handsome."

"Oh. That's alright, then." But instead of going upstairs behind Alice, he marched into the midst of us and stood, expectantly. Pulling a pipe from his pocket, he tapped it against the bottom of his boot, and put it in his mouth.

"Scandalous," Carlisle muttered, and returned his attention to Edward. "Tell me, young man, whether the accounts of the natives in this country be true?"

Edward fiddled with his cigarette. "What are the rumours?" he wondered.

"That they be savage and not like men."

Jacob bristled again. Renesmee laid a hand on his shoulder, and he sat back, paying strict attention to the conversation.

" 'Tis untrue sir," Jasper growled, gesturing with his pipe. "They are the same as other men, but have different customs. Not any different with the blacks. The Mexicans, now, they fight mighty fierce. We are having a great problem with them in Texas. But they are all people, like us. That is what my mother always said to us, and she is right. I have fought along side other races, and some I've fought against. But they are all human beings. They love the same things, and they hate the same. 'Tis most wrong to think them inferior."

"What is your mother's name?" Alice piped up.

Jasper stared into the murky past, searching.

"Jenny," he said, finally. All the women sighed and exchanged triumphant smiles. "It is also the name of my tow-headed youngest sister, who is but five year."

"And your father's name?" Alice asked calmly. Jasper frowned.

Something small and black whisked across the room, practically running over Carlisle's feet.

"Stone the crows!" Carlisle yelled, startling us all. "A witch's Familiar!"

"Jehosophat! It must belong to the pale women," Jasper howled. He turned and fled, followed closely by Alice. Moments later, a door slammed upstairs.

Edward looked at Mungojerry's brother, Mistoffelees, and scoffed. He put his arm over the back of the couch, and rested his ankle on the opposite knee. "It's only a cat," he said, eyes rolling, as he waved his cigarette dismissively.

" 'Tis black. 'Tis the Devil's Familiar," Carlisle insisted.

"Claire! Get the damn cat out!" Rosalie snapped. Carlisle gasped, looking at Rose in horror. Claire hastened to comply.

"Swears jar," Esme said in a monotone. Growling under her breath, Rosalie walked to the mantle and dropped some money in a large pickle jar. She stomped back to her seat.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Edward enquired narrowly, searching Carlisle's face without so much as a glimmer of recognition.

"Nay. I am a doctor from the Continent, come here to teach at the Philadelphia College of Apothecaries".

"1821," Esme muttered in my ear.

"A prestigious institution," Edward declared, turning the cigarette in his fingers. "I had no idea Englishmen were so superstitious, however." Back it went to his mouth.

"My father says we must all be on our watch lest the Devil corrupt us," Carlisle announced.

"Well, I cannot fault that view, sir," Edward sighed, taking his foot off his knee and leaning on his elbows. "My father is forever trying to keep the Devil from taking hold of me."

Emmett guffawed loudly, counting out the cigarettes in his case. Carlisle and Edward scowled at him.

Carlisle decided to ignore Emmett, refocusing on Edward. "A good man, sir."

"Yes, I am fond of him."

"Is he a temperamental man?" Carlisle wondered.

"Mostly, sir, he is very much in control of his temper. He is a barrister."

"I see. Serving the Colonists?"

"Indeed. Mother and I are very proud of him." Edward took the cigarette out of his mouth and gestured with it. "He is very well-known in Chicago."

"How very nice. And you are an affectionate son. I hope I have an affectionate son, someday."

"I expect you will have many affectionate sons, sir, as you seem kind."

"Indeed, sir, I hope to be thought so. It is extremely important that a doctor have compassion for his patients."

"I hope you are also patient with your students, sir."

"Indeed. But I know many who are not so."

Edward's eyes rolled. "As do I. Angel?"

'Yes, love?"

"Are you my Bella?"

"Yes, love. It's me. Are you ready to go back to bed?" Bella held her hand out to Edward. Putting his cigarette in his pocket, he took her hand and rose smoothly to his feet.

"I am rather tired today. I do hope it is not the influenza."

"No, dearest. You're not ill. You just need a little nap." Confiscating his cigarette, she passed it to Rose, and patting Edward on the shoulder, she led him back upstairs.

"The young man is wise," Carlisle declared. "The hour grows late. I am on call and must be prepared to be at the hospital all night. I should sleep while it is possible."

"Let me show you to your room," Esme suggested, smiling. She turned and winked at Rosalie.

"Emmett? Are you ready for a nap?" Rosalie asked softly.

"Nah. I just want my cigarettes. Is there any whiskey?"

Rosalie took Emmett by the hand. "This establishment does not permit smoking indoors. Come outside, and then, when you are finished, I'll take you up to your room and you can have a whiskey."

"Rosie?"

"Yes, Em?"

"I don't want to break anything."

"You haven't. Come on, Monkey Man."

"Okay, Darlin'."

Everybody was gone except a couple of Quileute and Renesmee.

"Well, that was random," she declared with an eye roll. "Can we go see my babies now, please?"

"Sure, sure," Jacob declared, getting up quickly and pulling his wife from the room. "I hope I'm not around next time that happens."

"Why? They were funny," Renesmee said, looking bemused.

"It's weird, seeing the Great Leaders step out of character. Smoking, drinking, singing rude songs... It's just surreal."

"What is?" Sam said, coming in the front door, followed by Quill, Embry, and Jared.

"The Great Leaders and Company took naps and walked in their sleep. You missed the whole show," Jake declared, shaking his head.

"Auntie Alice got it on camera. We'll roast them later," Renesmee shrugged. "When they've recovered from the abuses to which they subjected their bodies.

"Wonderful," Sam said. He led the _Kwali_ to the cloak room. When they emerged, Emily came out of the kitchen with a tray of hot chocolate and passed it around.

"Hey, Sam?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes, Angela?" he asked, eyeing me intently.

"Could you please tell me another _Kwali Ute_ story?"

"Uh, sure. Let me think. Have we told you about Thunderbird yet?"

"No," I said, settling myself to listen.

"Many years ago, the Quileute were having a difficult time. The Earth was devastated with snow, ice, hail, sleet, and rain. People, animals, and plants died. The Quileute were unable to fish because of the rough water and they had eaten what little plant life was left after the storms. The people began to starve to death.

"The Great Chief told the tribe that they would make one last appeal to the Great Spirit for help and if they were meant to survive the Great Spirit would save them. Were their pleas refused, they resolved to die bravely as befit a Quileute.

"The Great Chief made one last prayer to the Great Spirit and then the tribe waited quietly for Him to respond. Soon, there came a loud sound and flashes of lightening rent the darkness. With the flapping of huge wings, Thunderbird flew to them from over the sea. In its talons was a large, living whale. Thunderbird presented it to the tribe before returning back into the lightening from which it was born. The people rejoiced, knowing the Creator cared about them."

"That's a lovely legend, Sam. Thank you for sharing it." I said.

"Ask Billy to tell you some when you're back home. He tells stories the best of anyone, since Old Quill passed."

"I will, thanks. The _Kwali_ will make lots of new stories here, won't they?" I asked softly.

"There are always stories, new and old," Sam said wisely. "Stories are made, and they evolve with the people who tell them. That is a gift of the Creator."

**If you want more information about napping vampires, read Chapter 6 of 'I Hunger', but please be advised that the chapter is rated M for mature content including sexuality.**

**More legends concerning the supernatural creatures and humans of the Olympic Peninsula may be found in Chapter 29 of 'I Hunger', which carries a T rating.**


	22. Chapter 22: Dominance

**Chapter 22: Dominance**

**Dun, dun, duuuuunnn...**

**Like I've said before, sometimes things happen in one story that hold up me posting for another. Hence, the horrible summer-long delay that prevented this chapter from posting. And technically, it should have posted before the last one. So, there's sort of a flashback at the beginning of this, and I rarely write those. But I couldn't post without wrecking other stories. **

**Oh, and this chapter has been re-posted, because anonymousbutterfly100 caught me making quite the mistake. Lol. Thanks, hon'! **

**Looking forward to hearing what you think. Always.**

**If it makes you any happier, I'm giving you a smattering of authentic Ticuna and Brazilian Portuguese dialogue in this chapter. No, I don't speak Brazilian Portuguese. The wonderful Sarahhalliwell gives me that. But I do speak some Ticuna. I learned it for IH. That's how much I care.**

**This chapter corresponds to Chapter 3 of 'Heaven Help My Heart'.**

**Snickers. I'm sneaky. I've been tidying up this fic. So, you might want to go back and read it from the beginning, because I've added tidbits of supporting detail and changed some dates, and small things, to match my canon. This is the third story I started to write, in September of 2009. So won't you please wish a happy first anniversary to LAF, UE and Redemption? And me? No major changes have been made to the story, so if you aren't a UE Series fan, and don't care to re-read it, _don't have a cow, man_. You don't have to.**

**lol- Please do me a favour and help me out. I posted a poll about my version of Marcus a month ago, because I'm tempted by two possible directions for his character in IH. The results are consistently split 50/50. How amusing. I ask for opinions, and you're evenly divided. Who knew! Please help me decide.**

**This chapter coincides with Chapter 3 of 'Heaven Help my Heart', my new fic about Leah and her Imprint. Rated 'T'. Please check it out. Want to see my vision of her mate? Go to my Facebook Fanpage for Unforeseen Events, and look in the sketches album. He's there. The link is on my Profile.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Music belongs to its rightful owners. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is unintentional. Kaure and Gustavo belong to Stephenie, as does Leah. But their extended families belong to me and Edward. Hands off. Grr!**

**You may hear the music from this chapter on my new playlist: youtubedotcom/jmollytwilight2/LAF, beginning at #8. I have already added the music from previous chapters.**

"**Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair", by Cara Dillon**

"**May You Walk in Sunshine (The Native American Ten Commandments)**

**February 19th, 2014:**

It has been an interesting week, to say the least. First, the birth of Lottie and Tina, and Ren's transformation to a full vampire. Then, Leah running off to find her mate. And she _did_ find him, that very night. Four days ago. And Edward's reaction to _that_ was priceless. And Sam's was not.

Bella told me, afterward, that I'd witnessed a rare phenomenon where her husband was concerned. And I'd have happily skipped seeing the part of Sam's nature that he put on display.

**o~O~o**

**February 15th - 16th, 2014:**

Edward paced for three and a half hours, until Esme demanded that he stop wearing a groove into the Great Room's maple hardwood. He came to rest opposite one of the large windows at the back of the room, staring out at the blizzard. The longer he watched, the more still he got. Bella told me that vampires, unlike humans, get increasingly still when feeling antsy.

When Em came in and asked if he and Bella had enjoyed their book keeping session, Edward growled threateningly, and suggested that Em and Rose go play some cards.

Edward was so cranky that the _Kwali_ and Renesmee took to the forest in self-defence. The female Quileute were off doing Heaven knows what. Ben and I, and the Cullens, pretty much had the Great Room to ourselves all evening.

Edward was _really_ antsy. He occasionally cast a glare at Alice, knitting as she sat cross-legged on one of the couches.

"Soon, Edward," she grinned, needles clacking.

"Grr. Why are you keeping me out?" he snapped.

Alice laughed evilly. "Oh, brother-of-mine! Just wait. You'll be glad to be surprised."

Finally, just past midnight, the phone rang. Edward pounced on it. "Fluffy?" he barked, ceasing his pacing. "I didn't think we were going to hear from you."

Alice laughed. Insanely.

"You _found_ him," Edward smiled. "Would you care to explain why Alice has been driving me mad for the past three hours, reciting sonnets in her head in Mandarin?" His eyes rolled. Then, he listened, and stopped dead in his tracks. "Why would I laugh, Smurfette?"

Alice snorted.

"_Come again?_" he asked tonelessly. Then, he got the funniest look on his face, like he was in pain. His face scrunched up. He didn't appear to be breathing.

Then, his mouth contorted into a huge grin, which he suppressed.

"Uh-oh," Bella breathed, staring at him, with the hint of a smile. She set down her recipe book. She had been reading about how to make pies.

"I'm_ not _laughing," Edward protested. A twitchy smile twisted the corner of his mouth. His eyes closed tightly. Sure, he wasn't laughing. Yet.

He listened to Leah's answer. _Then_ he laughed. Uproariously.

"The last time I heard him laugh like _that_ was at the Roast," I muttered to Bella. She sniffed a laugh.

Whatever Leah said in response brought Edward up short.

"I'm sorry, Fluff. It's just ... so ironic. I'm happy for you. Seriously. Jacob and Ren can help you through the ... adjustments. We all love you, you know. We'll support you in whatever capacity you need. And I know we'll love your mate. Anybody who loves you has got to be top notch... Hey, Smurfette, I do. I'm sorry I laughed. Truly... He and Jazz should get on like a house on fire."

Edward fell quiet. "He's going to change his ways for you?" he asked gravely.

There was a pause.

"_Fluffy?_" Edward asked softly.

"Fluffy?" Edward cooed, forehead wrinkling. "Don't cry, dear. Honey? Your mate is old. Almost as old as Canada. Ingrained in his habits. He loves human history. He's willing to change his entire lifestyle to be with you, and after less than a couple of hours, he calls you his mate. He wants you. He wants to be part of the family, here. And he wants kids. Have I missed anything?"

Edward listened briefly. "I love him already," Edward said firmly. "What's not to love? So is he the best thing since sliced bread?" he smirked.

There was a substantial pause as Leah presumably waxed poetic about her mate.

"Hah. Finally. Somebody male in the family, who's shorter than me. Ever since Seth shot up, I've been feeling inferior. Now I love your mate even more," Edward claimed. "And you're _laughing_. How great is that! Give me the name of this perfect specimen. _The Archer. _You sure he's not Cupid, Smurfette? ...Wonderful, dearest. I'm so happy for you. Both of you. We'll have him trained up in no time. When are you coming home?"

Edward's eyes rolled at Leah's answer. "I _bet_ he does. Put him on, Smurfette."

A moment later, Edward smiled in response to the newcomer. "Hello, Ivo. I can't tell you how glad I am to hear your voice," he declared. "We're going to help you adjust, okay? We have other mated pairs that come from two different species. And we've had lots of traditional vampires who chose to switch to vegetarianism."

I picked my jaw up off the floor.

"You love my girl?" Edward demanded. "See that you treat her well. She has been the focus of a lot of disrespectful teasing over the years. Should you treat her like less than a princess, I will personally rough you up. Understand?"

Edward beamed. "Good. Congratulations. You have wonderful taste. I'm pleased to see that you value Leah as highly as she ought to be valued. She's brave. She's taking _you_ on, and _that_ tells me just how brave she is. She's fierce and loyal, and she has a wonderful sense of humour. She's fun. And she makes a nice warm fluffy wolf, too. She's going to give you 110 percent of her love. I've been praying for years that she'd find you, and I couldn't be happier. Welcome to the family. When are you coming to see us?"

There was another long gap. It got frustrating. Not everyone was born with vampire hearing. Or _Kwali_ hearing, for that matter.

"Of course... Yes. Seth and Caleb would like to see their sister," Edward suggested. "We could... arrange a wedding," he added.

Alice went off her nut, jumping up and down, yelling, "_Yes! Yes! Yes!_" We all watched her in disbelief.

"Leah is going to tear you a new orifice," Bella warned. Edward snorted, eyes dancing. He nodded at Alice, who was still nodding at him, and dancing around. I guess she liked ... Ivo's... answer.

Edward beamed. "Excellent. We'll let you two alone. Bye bye kids. Be safe. We love you."

"You're about to see something rare," Bella informed me wryly.

Edward disconnected. His eyes were scrunched shut again. "The _Kwali_?" he asked softly through gritted teeth.

"Still out with Sam," Esme declared.

"You'd better be done before they catch you, or Leah really will rip you a new orifice," Alice had warned.

Edward nodded, eyes squeezed shut. And then, the laughter bubbled up out of him. Laughter like the bellowing of a bear, with a whole lot of gasps for breath. Laughter that would have provoked tears to run down his cheeks, were he capable of such a thing as crying. He leaned his head against the back of the couch, and went limp, absolutely killing himself.

"It's not that funny," Rose informed him. In response, he fell to the floor and smacked it with his hand.

"Edward, honestly," Bella said, her lip curling with tolerant amusement. She turned to me. "Seventeen. Forever." I nodded. Technically, she was 19, but she had stopped aging some months before she transformed, so she didn't look it.

Edward fell over on his back, and brayed at the ceiling until the whole place echoed with it.

"The last time I heard him laugh like _that_, we nearly got kicked out of a hotel," Bella muttered to me.

"Dear," Esme remonstrated with him.

"Irony!" Edward giggled, his voice much too high. He continued to laugh so loudly that it brought Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle running to investigate.

They gawped at him, lying on the floor, slaying himself.

"What in tarnation?" Jasper asked.

The girls were all mum.

"Leah," Edward squeaked, gulping. He pressed his eyes shut with the heels of his hands, and dissolved into more, rather hysterical, laughter.

"Let us in on the joke?" Carlisle asked softly.

"_Only_ if you don't tell her I laughed," Edward gulped, looking at the third-storey ceiling.

"Sure. Now give. We could all use a laugh," Emmett demanded.

Edward looked at him, trying to be serious. There were giggles waiting to seep out around the edges, however. "It's really not funny," he admitted, chuckling anyway.

"Right. Enlighten us," Jasper demanded, crossing his arms.

"Carlisle, did you ever happen across an Inuit vampire? Name of Ivo? Born about ... 274 years ago?"

Some kind of knowledge kindled in the back of Carlisle's eyes. "You're ... kidding," he growled slowly.

"Who me? Josh about something like that? Not. Not joshing," Edward chuckled, throwing his forearm over his eyes. "My _Kwali_-ette is in love with a blood drinker," he howled, clutching his stomach.

Emmett, predictably, began to guffaw, but Jasper and Carlisle looked a little worried. "Edward, that's going to be..." Carlisle began.

"Terrifying. They're accustomed to living totally incompatible lifestyles," Edward moaned. "Talk about 'unevenly yoked'." Sobering, he sat up and put his hands around his knees. "But there's hope, isn't there, Titch?" he directed at Alice.

"Yep," she sang, clicking through websites on the computer in the corner. Wedding-related websites.

"I don't know what you were _thinking_, encouraging them to get married in three weeks," Rose fumed. "They don't even _know_ each other. They don't know _anything_. They haven't got any _foundation_, Edward!"

"Leah imprinted on him, Rose. There's no choice. We need to set some limits."

"But what's the _rush_! Jacob waited for Ren to grow up. They don't need to get married right away," Rose protested.

"Rose," Edward stated firmly, "I know Leah doesn't think she needs an official marriage ceremony like you, or I, would. And I doubt Ivo has the same... cultural traditions as we do. The pair of them already carried away. If I didn't know better I'd be running down there _tonight_ to perform a shotgun wedding. It's no secret that she's infertile, or I'd be really wo-"

"I wouldn't be so sure, if I were you," Alice sang.

"Oh, in the name of all that's holy. You're telling me there's something else to worry about? How! Oh, don't answer that. I don't want to know. Don't tell Leah. She'll jump in with both feet. They've each been lonely and isolated, and they are so busy rejoicing in the fact that they're no longer alone, that they aren't thinking difficulties through. They're making promises and convincing themselves everything's going to be peachy. They're assuming love will be enough.

"Perhaps they already consider themselves married. Leah will. And I _know_ Leah. She won't hesitate to club him over the head and drag him back to her cave. Ivo? I don't know him. I wanted him to know this is a permanent, monogamous arrangement. And I also wanted to hear if he was committed to Leah or he was just messing with her. He is sincere. He told me to plan the wedding. Good intentions. As an added bonus, he wants to please me."

"So... volunteering to arrange their wedding... was a _test?_" Rose snarled, flipping her hair.

"Yeah," Edward said happily, grinning lopsidedly. "And he passed with flying colours."

"Passed!" Jasper protested, putting his hands on his hips. "_Kwali _and Trads _kill_ each other, Edward."

"Exactly. They're both willing to overlook each others' ... differences enough to discuss taboos, lifestyle, marriage and, apparently, children. In addition, he just found out that he has to share his precious new mate with a massive family that includes vampires, shifters, and humans. Very scary prospect for a Trad. That means they have a genuine mate bond. As long as neither one kills the other in a fit of pique before we teach them how to manage, it will be okay."

"You'd better hope your logic isn't faulty, son," Esme said.

"The odds of their success improve if Ivo brings Leah here and they get married, Esme," Alice declared. "If he had refused to marry her, and visit the family, the indications are that there would be heartbreak. And they aren't out of the woods, just because he said he'd bring her home to get married. There are so many decisions to be made during the next weeks. Particularly concerning his diet. If either of them chooses wrong, it could ... end badly."

"And I thought I was living dangerously, courting Bella!" Edward giggled. "At least she had no chance of harming me. I only had to worry about my own temper and impulses. These two could have a War of the Roses."

"Sensitive! Thank you for pointing out my human frailty, Dom Cullen," Bella growled.

Have I mentioned that Edward is the Vampire Dom, or prince, of two South American territories? The one in Rio is home to his second human family, The Pereiras. The one in the Amazon contains his coven of foundlings, converts and Newborns at its West end. The East end of his territory is home to his Ticunas, his Aid Station, and the Pereira's cousins.

"Punish me later, Minx."

"You bet I will."

"TMI," Esme sighed.

"But you're already playing Wedding Planner," Rose growled at Alice.

"It doesn't hurt to be optimistic, dear," Alice grinned.

"I pretty much pushed Ivo into bringing her home," Edward admitted, getting things back on track. "We'll have to be the ... dominant force here."

"You'll be his mentor?" Carlisle checked.

"I'll lead _him_, you lead _me_," Edward shrugged. "Now, _please_, in the name of all that's holy, I beg of you: nobody tell the _Kwali Ute_ I laughed. I don't need it to get back to Leah. And somehow, I have to keep a straight face when I talk to the packs."

"Talk to the packs about what, Edward?" Jacob asked, walking in from the kitchen.

"Oh, boy," Edward said, tugging his hair. "You did _not_ hear me say..."

"I heard you say you had to talk to the packs," Jake said, confused. "Is there a problem?"

"Um... I can't give you a definitive answer yet, Jake," Edward winced. "I hope ... everything will turn out... fine."

"Looking good at the moment," Alice chipped in happily, flipping screens at a mile a minute.

"Keep it under control, Titch. Leah won't want to go whole hog. I want the decor simple in case... we must move... fast to rescue a guest."

"Leah?" Jake wondered, brow raised. "Guests? She found her Imprint, then, right?"

"Yeah," Edward said, thin-lipped.

"So what's the big? That's great," Jake enthused.

"He's a vampire," Emmett blurted.

Jake blinked. You could see the wheels turning in his head. "Well... that's okay. Ness and I can help with that."

"Thanks Jake. They're... going to need you. A lot." Edward grimaced.

"Well, it's true that there are adjustments other people don't have to worry about. But really, a lot of things can be solved with a generous helping of devotion and some nice oatmeal shampoo."

"TMI, Jake," Edward and Bella chorused.

"Sorry," he said contritely. "Honestly, it's easier to cope than you'd think."

"Jake," Edward sighed, hanging his head.

"Yeah, _Dad_?" he teased, eyes twinkling.

"He's a Traditional," Edward muttered.

Jake's eyes flared wide. "Oh, boy. Sam's gonna go off his nut."

The front door banged open, and the _Kwali Ute _hurried in _en masse_. "Why would I go off my nut?" Sam asked, grinning. All the vampires groaned. Edward pinched his eyes shut.

"Sam, we... need to talk about Leah," Edward said softly.

Sam's eyes clouded with panic. Then, he beamed joyfully. "She found her mate, didn't she?" He asked eagerly.

"Yes, she did," Carlisle responded. "But ... it's complicated."

"Perhaps we should discuss this alone," Edward suggested.

"Aw, the pack members will know soon enough. Might as well tell us all at once," Sam shrugged.

"We don't want any ..." Edward essayed.

"Highly emotional reactions," Jasper growled.

Sam looked very taken aback. "Call a meeting. Everyone, sit," he ordered.

The _Kwali _filed into the room and sat, filling all the couches and overflowing onto the floor. Embry popped over and struck the small gong by the entrance-way. The wives, Ben, and kids came running. Soon, everyone was once-again collected in the room. Claire towed in my boys, Kim carried Alex and Nelda, and Ren passed Lottie to Jacob, keeping Tina for herself.

We all waited expectantly. Edward paced, pinching the bridge of his nose again. After a few minutes of internal debate, he stopped, sighing.

"As you all know, Leah left here this evening to find her mate. Things are more complex than we would wish, but we have faith, based on the nature of imprinting, and Alice's visions, that everything will go well. Please be calm and don't lose your tempers. It would have been nice if things were simple, but apparently God has ... other plans. In fact, I am sure He has big plans for Leah and her mate."

"What's going on, Edward? Is there something wrong with her mate?" Emily asked, frowning anxiously.

"He... needs our help and support. We have faith that he will adjust beautifully to our lifestyle here, but we will have to monitor him carefully. And Leah will need help to keep her... temper."

"What's going on, Edward?" Sam growled, temper kindling.

"He's gonna go off his nut," Jacob murmured in a sing-song voice. A lot of people frowned at him.

"Leah's Imprint is a vampire. He's approximately 274 years old, and he's Inuit. Apparently he loves Native history, and he is an artist. Goes by the name of Ivo. He's been a nomad most of his life. Being part of this family is going to be a huge adjustment for him. He's completely smitten with Leah, and he's behaving well, and he's willing to adapt to our lifestyle. That's the good news," Edward declared. A lot of people looked pleased.

"What's the bad news?" Sam growled. An air of false calm descended. Jasper was managing the room.

Edward looked at Sam carefully. "Ivo ... is a Trad."

Sam leaped to his feet, snarling. His eyes were on fire, his skin flushed. He hyperventilated madly.

"Sam! Listen to Edward!" Jacob ordered.

Sam Uley must always yield to Jacob Black, I remembered tensely. I whispered it to Ben so he wouldn't be scared.

"You're bringing a Trad here?" Sam snarled. "_Here_, where there are humans?"

Some of the vampires' eyes morphed to a nervous black. Edward and Carlisle's remained a serene gold.

"If we don't welcome Ivo here, he won't be trained as a vegetarian," Alice informed Sam. "There's no way Leah could train him on her own."

"So send them to the Amazon," Sam yelled. "There aren't any humans there to hurt."

"That's my intention, Sam, but I can't send him there without getting him to talk to me first," Edward said calmly.

"This is completely insane!" Sam roared, getting up in Edward's face belligerently. Edward stood stock still, looking a little paler and a lot more bruised than usual.

"No, Sam. If Ivo comes here, and is made welcome, and sees us all living together in peace, he will embrace the lifestyle. If Edward goes to Toronto instead, Ivo won't be as convinced it's something he wants to do. He _has_ to come here, and see how we live," Alice pleaded gently.

"Noooo!" Sam screamed, and it changed to a howl as he phased _right there_ in the middle of the Cullens' Great Room, _right_ in front of Edward.

Edward backed up until he hit Renesmee's legs, balanced himself in a wide stance and put out his hand like a weapon. His eyes glinted defensively when he realized how close his daughter and granddaughter were to Sam. Renesmee virtually levitated and ended up crouched twenty feet away from me, clutching Tina. She scooted behind the couch across from me. Several of the male vampires hissed and took defensive postures in front of their mates and the children.

The other _Kwali _and their wives froze, horrified, uncertain what to do. They looked from leader to leader, panicking.

I found myself behind the couch I'd been sitting on, with Ben, Claire, and the boys beside me. Bella, Esme and Rosalie were over top of us like cages. Snarls were ripping from various throats, including theirs. Sobs came from others. My heart was fluttering like a hummingbird in my throat. Ben and I stared at each other, attempting not to be terrified.

"Sam! Stop it right now!" Jacob bellowed at the top of his lungs in an odd double-timbre. "You will phase back to human and discuss your concerns calmly. All the _Kwali_ _must_ stand down. You will not fight the Cullens. You will not fight anyone. Stand down!"

Sam continued to growl rebelliously for a moment, and then he phased back to human. It seemed to take forever. That artificial, sickening calm descended again, making everything feel like an out of body experience. I snuck a peek at Jasper. His eyes looked like burning bottomless pits. I shuddered.

Emily ran over unsteadily, and threw an afghan over Sam's naked form. He wrapped it around himself, sitting up. He still looked livid.

"Stand down, all of you," Edward said quietly. All the growling on both sides subsided, leaving the room as silent as a tomb, save for the odd whimper here and there. "Hush now, all of you. We are a family. There will be no fighting. Such behaviour is unacceptable. We have lived together here without conflict for nearly four years. I won't have it.

"Perfect love casts out fear. I want you all to rein yourselves in.

"Sam, you know we treasure human life. We will control Ivo. If we bring him here, he will be under our _supervision_. If he is out in the world on his own, there are a lot more humans under possible threat," Edward reasoned calmly.

"It's too great a risk," Sam protested vehemently.

"It's too great a risk to leave him at large," Alice countered. If we don't mentor him, I _See_ the possibility that he's going to kill the human who is going to develop the cure for diabetes."

"So it's okay to risk the lives _here_? The life of Claire perhaps? Or Theo?" Sam snarled. Beside me, Claire shuddered.

I stuck out my arm and pulled her close to my chest. Theo was tucked under my other arm. "You're scaring Claire, Sam," I called out bravely. There were critical growls directed at Sam from both species. Sam ignored all of us, glaring at Edward.

Edward gasped, his eyes zoning black. "Sam, you can't _mean_ that."

"Yeah. I do. It would be smarter to kill him."

"He has shown every intention of becoming like us,"Carlisle protested. "He can be a force for good in the world. Killing someone who wants to be good is just wrong, Sam."

"Not to mention what it would do to Leah," Rosalie added.

"Leah's a freak," Sam spat, shocking the room at large. "We should just do away with both of them. Do the world a favour."

"Sam!" Emily gasped, shocked to the core.

"Sam! Be kind!" Edward directed.

"I've tried to be kind to her," Sam snapped. "All she did in return for that was kick me in the teeth."

"She loved you, Sam. How many times have we discussed this? You haven't wanted her to suffer. You were thrilled she imprinted before you found out what Ivo was," Edward reminded him.

"That's true, because I _thought_ she was finally going to be normal. Not to mention, she wouldn't be a millstone around my neck any more. But if she were meant to have an Imprint, she should have imprinted on me. She didn't. And I'm glad, because Emily is so much better. Leah is the only she-wolf because she's not normal. And now? She even messed up imprinting. She's unnatural."

"You didn't call me unnatural when I imprinted on Renesmee," Jacob reminded him. "What's the difference?"

"Renesmee was not a murderess," Sam snarled, practically stamping his foot.

"I seem to remember you being afraid I would be," the young lady in question said softly. "Your biggest problem, Sam, is not being willing to trust us."

"Trust is earned!" Sam spat.

"Exactly. When have we ever done anything untrustworthy, Sam?" Carlisle asked gently.

"When you invited a blood drinker into this house. It's like asking an alcoholic to work in a liquor store! Seriously, how do you think that's gonna work out, people?"

"Ivo walks amongst humans all the time, Sam. He did two hundred years ago, and he still does. I've met him in Volterra. He wouldn't know my name, but he'll recognize me. He has rarely killed. He... milks his prey, and they recover after," Carlisle explained.

"Well maybe he can milk the humans here," Sam countered sarcastically. "I'm telling you, Carlisle, that he's evil. Now he's twisted Leah's mind. You should do away with them both before they wreak any havoc."

"No one will harm Leah or her mate," Jacob intoned in his strange voice. "They will be supervised carefully, but kindly, and given all due consideration. There is to be no bullying or teasing, either. As Ephraim Black's heir, I command it."

"Hear, hear," Jasper murmured.

"Sam, I wish you would reconsider your position," Edward said sadly. "You're letting fear override logic and compassion."

"Fear exists to help us survive. I cannot support your position. Edward, you are an honourable being and I have a lot of respect for you. I consider you a friend. But _as _your friend, I must beg you to reconsider this course of action. So many things could go wrong, and put one of our loved-ones at risk."

Edward turned to his sister. "Alice? Are you certain?"

"If he comes here, and we welcome him gladly, Ivo will not harm anyone here. That is the 100 percent eventuality. Even if he visits and rejects the lifestyle, which is a very small possibility, he will not harm any of us. But if he continues to be a Trad, and feels the vegetarian lifestyle is not something noble, he is very likely to continue to drink from, and occasionally kill, humans. Sam, you ought to know that Ivo is very highly self-controlled. So if he comes here he will very likely comply with our rules."

Sam stood, shoulders slumped and eyes down. After a few minutes, he sighed and looked at Edward. "I can't take that chance."

Edward's eyes were sorrowful. "So be it," he said. "Please don't take your family out in that blizzard tonight. One of us can drive you to the airport in the morning."

Sam nodded curtly. "I'm sorry I lost my temper," he said softly.

"I know. Thank you for the apology," Edward said softly. "Please... don't think unkind things about Leah anymore. She can't help loving him any more than you can help loving Emily. And she deserves a shot at happiness just as much as you do."

"Well," Sam said, frowning at his feet, "you do make a good argument there, but I'm not going to hang around and watch."

"You're a good man, Sam. 'Judge not, lest ye be judged'." Edward said, swallowing his own anger.

"Friends?" Sam asked, sticking out his hand.

"Of course. You know we love you, and your family," Edward answered, shaking Sam's hand.

"Daddy? What's going on?" Claire asked tremulously.

"Honey, we're going home to LaPush," Sam said gently.

Claire nodded curtly. I remembered her saying she would be glad to go home, because there was nobody here to play with, but she walked solemnly over to Carlisle and hugged him anyway. He smoothed down her silky dark hair.

Carlisle looked at Sam sadly. "Can she have the cat?" he asked quietly.

Sam nodded curtly. "Grandad is giving Mungojerry to you, Claire. What do you say?"

"Thank you, Grandad," she sniffled.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. You'll see us again soon," Carlisle crooned.

"Promise?" she asked weakly.

"I promise, darling, and I always keep my promises."

**o~O~o**

**February 16th, 2014:**

True to his word, Sam left the next morning, taking Emily, Claire, Embry and Alex with him. Embry had to go. He couldn't bear to be away from Claire.

The cat was not happy to be in a little plastic pet carrier, but he had to be in it to take the plane.

Since she was getting the pet to take home, Claire left quite cheerfully. Renesmee shook her head wryly. It was hard to think that she had played with Claire when she was a little girl. That Claire was, in fact, a little older than she.

Edward had had a little discussion with me and Ben just before we slipped off to bed. He had asked us whether we wanted to leave, too. I left the decision to Ben. Bravely, he said he understood that the wolves in Jacob's pack were very loyal to the Cullens, and for good reason. He opted to stay the rest of the month, as we had planned. In fact, he said we might extend our stay until after Leah's wedding.

Edward, upon hearing it, gave Ben one of those manly back-pats and told him he was grateful for his friendship and trust. Ben looked pretty proud of himself. Well, I was pretty proud of him, too.

The other _Kwali_ and their mates, after a short discussion, chose to stay at the Ranch. All of them were in Jake's pack anyway. Having access to Jake's thoughts, Jake's _Kwali _were more inclined to trust the Cullens. And Leah was part of their pack. They were excited to discover she had a good chance at getting an extremely happy life. And they remembered Leah as she'd been before she'd lost Sam. According to Edward, she'd had a bubbly, and cute, personality, much like Alice's. Everyone was anxious to see the changes in her, and meet her mate.

So, soon, the day became cheerful. Alice and Rose bickered over wedding plans, and Esme started plotting out the menu and the guest list from Washington. The boys were mostly watching TV and playing video games, and the girls were mostly discussing plans for spring.

Bella was sitting on Edward's lap, fingers laced behind his neck. They were bickering about an appropriate gift for Seth for graduation like a couple of old married teenagers, when the phone rang. Emmett answered it.

"Oh, hi! How are you?" he beamed, and then his face fell. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear it... Yeah, we're all fine, thanks. I'll hand you over to him, okay?" The vampires and _Kwali_ were all looking at Emmett with thin lips. "Edward?" Emmett asked, passing the phone to his brother.

"Raphael! _Bom dia meu irmao _(Good day, my brother). To what do I owe this pleasure?" Edward listened for a long time, making the occasional sympathetic cluck, and looking more solemn with every second. Bella looked positively sad. She leaned her head against her husband's shoulder, and shut her eyes. Ben and I looked around. Everyone looked sad. I wished, per usual, that my hearing were as sharp as a mythical creature's.

Edward sighed, and pinched his eyes shut. "I'm so sorry, Brother. Is there anything we can do? No? Tell me. No, I won't be mad... She wan_ts what?_ Brother, you _told_ her about us?" Bella shifted off his lap, and crossed her arms, looking pensive.

Edward listened intently to the voice on the other end of the line. Very few of his 'pet' Brazilians knew his true nature. As far as I knew, they were Kaure, Gustavo, Eruicha, Alessandro, Raphael and Fernanda. Nobody else knew, and that meant that he and Bella had been unable to visit the Pereiras in seven years.

"I can't come, Brother. You know that. Let me think for a minute, okay?" Edward got up and started pacing in his regular spot. His lips moved silently, at vampire speed. I wondered if he was praying.

He had joked with me, this morning, that if he were going to pace and wear out the floor, he would be smart to only wear out one section of it so it would be relatively easy to replace. That strip of floor was starting to get a groove in it.

Edward stopped pacing. "Raphael? I'm sending Nahuel. It's his decision, not mine, understand? Yeah, I'll call him immediately. How fast is she fading...? Okay. He'll be there by morning. Yeah, I promise. Tell your parents now, okay? I don't want her to make any hasty decisions."

Edward paced some more while he listened. "Yeah, man. It's hard. You wouldn't be able to see her for a long time. She'd go straight to the colony. So make sure your parents say 'goodbye'. Yeah, tell them she's going to a special clinic in America. And then, if it works out, you'll see her someday. But you have to realize, Raphael, that Nahuel is not me. He might say 'no'. If he does, it will be for a good reason. He's a good fellow... The decision, once made, is absolute. Do you accept that? Will Gabriela? She's conscious, right? Good. Let me call him, and I'll call you back after to confirm. Yeah. Love you, too. Bye."

Edward clicked off, and selected a new number from his phone's contact list. It rang once, and someone picked up. " _Nunaxe pa Nahuel._ I need an urgent favour from you." Edward's eyes flickered to Carlisle. "My Pereiras in Rio. There's a girl. She's always been sick. Brain tumours. Yeah. We've bought her as much time as we could, but she's failing. It's metastasized past the point where anything can be done. She's spent all her adult life in hospitals, having treatments and operations and tests. She wanted to live and die as a human and she's one hell of a fighter. But she has decided now that she doesn't want to die when she hasn't experienced life outside a hospital. She wants a shot at a 'happily ever after'... Yeah."

Edward listened to Nahuel for a few minutes. "Her name is Gabriela Silva Pereira. Her twenty-fifth birthday would be next week... No. Totally your decision." The corner of Edward's mouth turned up. "No, she's not married. Very pretty, and very bright. She writes. She wanted to teach, and she's never been strong enough, so she writes kids' novels instead. Yeah, will of iron...

"I don't know. At any rate, she knows about us, and she wants it. Well, I think she's lovely, but I have my misgivings about it. Yeah, the usual. Right... Right... Yeah. _Barra D'Or._ Can you go right away? Marvellous. Yeah, I'll ask them. I expect they want to, anyway.

"How's Theofilo? Wonderful. And William? Yep. Aw, that's cute. Tell him Mom and Dad will be home soon, okay? And can you get Kate and Garrett to send me a picture or three? I haven't seen any of the kids in six months, you know? Wonderful. Yeah, please hurry to Rio. Thanks. Yeah, love you, too. Give my love to everyone, yeah? Thanks, my friend. Yeah, we're going to be staying here a while yet. Leah imprinted on a Trad. No, not joshing. I'll fill you in later. Please go now." Edward shut his black eyes in relief. "Bless you. Talk to you tomorrow, 'kay?"

Edward shut the phone, called Raphael back, and confirmed that Nahuel was on his way. Then, he looked at Em and Rose. "Your son wants you home," he informed them.

"Huh?" Did I actually say that out loud? Yep. I bet I was gawping like a fish, too.

"Emergency?" Em wondered. "We were going to stay out the week," he hesitated.

"Nah. He's just being three," Edward shrugged.

My jaw dropped. My eyes flew to Rose's in surprise. She was looking at her brother, fuming. "His existence is supposed to be a secret, Edward. Alice said-"

"Sorry, sorry," Edward winced. He looked distraught. "I didn't mean to let it slip."

So much for perfect recall.

Why on earth would they have to keep a child's existence secret?

"It's alright, everyone," Alice said reassuringly. "There's no change in the future."

The assembled vampires sighed in relief.

"So Gabriela's dying?" Carlisle asked solemnly.

"Hanging on. Fighting it tooth and nail as usual," Edward confirmed, sitting down and tugging Bella onto his lap again. He rested his pale face against her chest, and she put her right arm around his neck and stroked his hair. I realized how much healthier Bella looked than he did. Edward's lashes were long and dark, but his eyes looked so bruised, despite the recent feed, that they were barely visible. He just looked unwell. Not the 'normal' kind of unwell, either. Really unwell.

"I'm _so_ tired," he said, shocking me. I didn't think vampires ever got tired. And he looked close to tears. Could he be ill?

Bella kissed his forehead fondly, and combed through his hair with her fingers. "You need a nap, Mocha-chino," she crooned.

"Unlikely, Minx," he said. Were his words slurring? But... What? Vampires don't sleep! Do they?

The phone rang again. Nobody seemed to want to go and get it. Jacob sighed, and got up to answer it. "Cullen Ranch," he said, lips in a straight line. His eyes flickered to Edward. "He's resting," Jake stated firmly. "What is it, Sam?"

There were a few minutes of silence, when everyone eavesdropped on the conversation. All eyes turned to Edward.

Edward blew out his breath, looking relieved. "Of course he can. Send Quill to pick them up. Tell him I'm glad he changed his mind."

Quill ran out of the kitchen, looking ecstatic.

"What was that? I didn't catch it," Edward said groggily.

"Claire wants to know if she can still keep the cat," Jake relayed.

"Of course," Carlisle said. "When they decide they're really going back to LaPush, she can take him."

Jacob passed along the message. "But if you're coming back, Sam, you must treat Leah well... You are? I'm glad to hear it. Edward will be glad, too. Everyone will."

"Edward is glad," Edward slurred.

"See you tonight," Jacob said, and hung up. "Huh. So Sam decided he was being an ass. Wonder why he changed his mind," he mused.

"Emily," the assembled women chorused.

Edward looked decidedly exhausted.

"Come on, my love. Let's see if we can push you over the edge," Bella coaxed, pulling him up. He sighed, but didn't argue.

"Good night, everyone. Don't forget you are loved," he said weakly. I was getting really worried.

"Don't you forget it, either," Esme said, smiling solemnly.

"Don't worry about me, Ang. It's normal," he mumbled dismissively. My surrogate big brother walked slowly over to the staircase, leaning heavily on Bella. He climbed it like... well... like he was 110 years old.

Less than 15 minutes later, Bella came back downstairs alone. "He's out like a light," she announced. The Kwali boys in the corner snickered.

"Shut up, or I'll run you through the chipper-shredder," Bella growled.

"I'm tired too," Jasper drawled, pushing back his hair.

"Me, too," Carlisle admitted.

"Em?" Rose asked, brow furrowed.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Alright. It's been a bad day. I suggest we all go to bed," Esme directed.

I realized that all the females looked fine, and all the males looked completely wiped out. Huh?

"Ang, Ben, we'll explain in the morning. Right now, we need to look after our mates. Kindly excuse us?" Esme begged.

"Of course," Ben replied, looking as blown away as I felt. I looked at Nessie and Jake, watching our kids play with theirs. Ness had set her baby girls on the floor. They were kicking their feet in the air, and reaching out for my boys. How adorable. Imagine my surprise when both newborn hybrids rolled over, and tried to crawl up the boys' fronts.

All the male vampires, and their mates, were now gone. I looked at Nessie curiously.

"You should go to bed, too, Auntie Angel," she told me.

"What-" I began, but she cut me off.

"I'm _seriously_ not even going to try and explain it," she informed me. I turned to Jake.

"Don't look at me," he protested, holding out his hands.

Fine. I would just have to wait for tomorrow.

**o~0~o**

**February 19th, 2014:**

So, they had napped. All the males. And afterward, they were much, much more cheerful. Perky, even. And really, really ... affectionate with their wives, who were walking around acting very amused.

It had been very funny watching the vampires watch themselves on TV, sleepwalking. Their reactions were more priceless than their antics had been during their naps. Especially since the _Kwali _were gleefully razzing them about it.

Every once in a while, Edward shook his head, and said, "I still can't believe I sang that song. It was in bad taste even in 1916." Or he'd say, "We were smoking. Cigarettes. Gross."

The good thing was, Jasper now knew the name of his mother and sister. He'd been smiling non-stop since he woke up.

Em was a little dazed. He still couldn't understand how he could possibly play the fiddle when asleep, and know nothing about it when awake.

Carlisle, being Carlisle, was probably the most fun of all. He was now using all sorts of antiquated expressions, tongue in cheek, just to make everyone laugh.

Sam was still, very sheepishly, offering apologies to anyone who would listen. Edward, being Edward, was telling him he would be holding him to his promises, but that he was forgiven for lashing out in fear.

Late in the afternoon, the phone rang, and Alice told Edward it was for him. What else was new?

Edward took it, looking hopeful. "Oh, hello, Nahuel. I was wondering when you'd get around to calling me," he teased. "So is she everything you'd hoped for?"

Wait...

Wha...?

Gah!

"Yeah?" Edward listened to Nahuel for a long time. "Yeah, you bet. I'm so glad. I was praying for it. Of course it's why I sent you. Yeah, you owe me big time. Give her my love when she wakes up, you sappy date. Yeah, you, too. Bye." He hung up the phone, chuckling.

"Alice?" Edward called. His sister slid down the bannister, grinning broadly. "You have an interesting wedding to plan. It's going to be in the middle of the jungle, her parents and siblings will attend via camera phone, and the bride will definitely want to wear white."

"I already know the _exact_ fabric we need," Alice enthused.

"Better put a rush on it, Alice," Edward declared, picking up a section of newspaper.

"When?"

"Well, we've got Ivo and Leah's March 7th. So you'd better make it around the beginning of April." He snapped the newspaper smartly, and started to read.

For a guy who took almost two years to get married, he sure liked short engagements.

"You are some matchmaker, Mr Cullen," Bella declared.

"Better than Carlisle," Edward teased, peeking at his father smugly.

"Hey!" Carlisle protested, not looking up from his newspaper.

"Yawaruna i mex (The Panther is good)," Bella crooned, bending down to kiss him on the head.

"_Claro, Bonita_ (Of course, Beautiful)," he answered, grinning slyly.

"See Angela? I told you God liked his prayers best," Bella told me matter-of-factly.

Yeah, I guess so. Probably because they're not for himself.

"Insufferable," Emmett declared, shaking his head and flicking his paper. "Everything conspires to make him insufferable."

**I am nominated for Best Author in The Hidden Star Awards. Please vote. _Ahem_. For me? Pretty please?**

****


	23. Chapter 23: Adjusting Perceptions

**Chapter 23: Adjusting Perceptions**

**Sometimes, I write myself into a corner. Sorry for the terrible delay. Some of you have poked me so charmingly that I can only say 'thank you' for your loyalty. It was impossible to post for a while without giving away pivotal information. But now that Leah and Ivo have caught up with us, you'll see lots of chapters pairing the two stories. This chapter corresponds to 'Heaven Help My Heart', Chapters 17 to 20.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is merely coincidental. Opinions expressed are those of the characters, and may not reflect those of the author. Ivo, Camilla Sala, Theo, Ethan, Lottie and Tina belong to me. And Edward. Don't even think about touching them. He's a powerful Dom, you know.**

******Please go to my channel, youtubedotcom/jmollytwilight2, and pick the ****_LAF_**** Playlist to hear great music that I guarantee will enhance your reading. This chapter's selections begin at #11:**

******'Time of Dying', by Three Days Grace **

******'Saviour', by Rise Against**

******'(Lord of the Rings, Return of the King) Track 17: The Return of the King', by** Hans Zimmer

**Thursday, February 22, 2014, 7pm:**

_**Angela's pov:**_

"There's something odd," Alice asserted fretfully. Everyone set aside their work and watched her, but then, she visibly relaxed.

"What is it, Titch?" Edward asked, his brow creasing, and then his face turned smooth. "Leah."

"She's been... contaminated," Alice said gruffly. "Just like Jake, in all probability."

"I object to the word 'contaminated'," Ren asserted, her nose in the air.

"Whatever. Infected," Alice shrugged.

"I thought you said they were going to be chaste," Esme questioned. Huh?

"I think they are. Hard to _See_," the little psychic said softly.

"She's not pregnant then?" Bella asked.

"I don't think so, but like I said, it's hard to _See_. She's feeling a little defensive of her privacy these days. Since she gave me permission to _Look_, I can follow her, but some of the details are pretty fuzzy."

The evening passed quietly. The vampires were concerned about Leah, but not speculating. Ben and I got the feeling they were waiting for the shoe to drop, but there was no news by the time we went to bed.

The next morning, when I made my way down to the Great Room, I was surprised to see a change in the usual population of the room. _Some_ people were not adhering to their routine. The leaders of the family, for instance. "Hi," I said to the group at large.

"Hi, Angel," Bella smiled.

"You heard anything about Leah yet?" I wondered.

"Yes. Ivo phoned Edward at about two o'clock this morning. Leah has, indeed, been infected with venom. Apparently, they've been French kissing," Bella informed me, eyes rolling.

"Oh. _Infected_," I said lamely.

"Morons," Em grunted.

"Hey, she probably got the wrong idea from me and Ren," Jacob said, patting his baby on the bum. She burped loudly. "Lottie Black! You have terrible manners." He was obviously delighted. The baby squealed and smacked him in the face. He grasped her tiny fingers and kissed them.

"So what's that mean for Leah?" I wondered, eyes flickering from face to face. There were rather sarcastic smiles all around.

"She's just become a superior species," Jacob crowed.

"Humble much?" Bella muttered.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "She's gonna feel really crummy for a couple of days. And she won't be able to phase, and she'll lose some strength. But when the fever stops, and she gets her muscle back, she'll be able to do some cool stuff she couldn't before."

"How do you know?" I wondered.

" 'Cause I am one. A Stripe."

"A what?" I gawped, wincing.

"Stripe. Like me," Ren shrugged, rearranging Tina under a baby blanket as she nursed.

"What's a Stripe?" I wondered blankly. I've heard of Vampires, _Kwali Ute_, and Hybrids, but not Stripes.

"It's an affectionate nickname for Kwali-Hybrids, or the offspring of Vamp-Human mate pairs. We should, by all genetic standards, not exist. Our DNA shouldn't be compatible. We should be mules: genetically inferior beings. But we aren't. We're superior creatures."

"You're unbearably vain," Esme growled. "And you aren't a Stripe anymore, Renesmee. You're all vampire."

"Meh. I still claim fellowship with the Stripes," Ren said cockily. "Stripes are faster, leap farther, can survive on human food, have warmer bodies and beating hearts, although we're also venomous. We're fertile. We sleep-"

"You are unbearably vain. And you're not a Stripe," Esme insisted.

"Whatever, Gram-Gram. I gave you two very stripey babies to play with. Bite me," Ren teased.

"You are so much like your father," Esme moaned, shaking her head.

"Thank you," Ren beamed, cementing the resemblance, except for her Newborn-red eyes.

"So... a Stripe is the offspring of a Vampire and a _Kwali_?" I asked, needing clarification.

"The offspring of a Vampire and a _Kwali _Hybrid, or a Human-Vamp Hybrid and a _Kwali_, or a Human Hybrid and a Vampire. See, we used to just all fall under the label of Hybrids, but a Stripe can do things a Vampire or a Human Hybrid can't. Like eat and sleep. There are quite a lot of us now," Jacob told me.

"But in all cases, is the _Kwali_ mate not a Stripe?" I frown.

"That's correct. Leah identified herself as a Stripe. If she continues to be able to eat and sleep, that is the proper designation for her. Seems silly in our melting pot culture to differentiate, but it helps medically to know what we're dealing with, if somebody gets sick. Hybrids are vulnerable to illness, and the germs can mutate and make other species sick. You should hear Edward rant about it. Bella gave him a cold once. It was hilarious. But Stripes aren't vulnerable to illness. Anyway, you'll be meeting a lot of different species at the wedding," Esme said, counting her knitting stitches again.

"Cool. So are Hybrids very different from Stripes and Vamps?" I wondered.

Bella tucked her feet up on the couch. "First generation Hybrids are usually Human girls impregnated by Vampires. I was one, of course. The first sign of genetic change is usually blackening of the eyes, followed by toughening of the skin. Then, the thirst for blood comes on, but Hybrids don't normally thirst specifically for human blood unless they are mated to a Trad, and are taught to drink it. Animal blood usually sates them. After ingesting animal blood, the Hybrid's eyes turn red, and probably thanks to the baby's venom increasingly circulating in the mother's system, she gains a lot of new abilities: leaping, climbing and running become enhanced, and eventually the mother loses the ability to eat human food, and it becomes harder to sleep. Although Hybrids are strong, they don't get as strong as their Vampire mates until they change into Vamps themselves. And Hybrids who become Vamps don't seem to have as many challenges taming blood lust as normal Newborns do."

"Amazing," I nodded. "Are there Hybrid-_Kwali_ pairs?"

"Once, we found a pregnant girl and a Kwali imprinted on her," Jacob smirked.

"Who?" I asked, astounded.

"Colin and Elena."

"Is she from the Amazon?" I asked curiously. The best thing about this family is that they don't mind my nosiness.

"Nope, Peru," Jacob told me. "She was part of Zafrina's coven. They have a little sweetie now. She's two. They named her Guadalupe. It means 'Valley of the Wolves'. They've been living in the Amazon with Nahuel."

"What did Sam say?" I wondered. "He seemed pretty upset about Leah. I didn't think there had been any other Vampire-_Kwali _matches aside from you and Ren."

"Sam wasn't happy, precisely. But Colin has always been fond of the Cullens. I think Leah and Ivo were a bigger blow, both because Leah used to hate Vamps, and because she never imprinted on Sam. He probably wonders why Leah wasn't his match, and feels insecure. At any rate, it's been a week. He has to adjust, because they're obviously mates."

"Speaking of mates, Edward and Carlisle are conspicuous by their absence this morning. I don't think I've ever come down to breakfast in all the years I've known you, and not found them bickering over the newspaper." There were not a few chuckles over this, because I was totally right.

"Oh, they left in the night to go and help Leah and Ivo," Bella shrugged.

"Edward's calling in ten minutes," Alice supplied helpfully. Bella's lips turned up, and as usual, I admired their relationship. It didn't matter how long they had been together, they always reacted to each other like young people do in the early stages of love. The kind of relationship where one partner lights up when the phone rings. I wouldn't trade my humanity for that, but I have often found myself imitating their behaviour, which is part of why I think Ben and I have such a good marriage. The immortals in my life taught me never to take him for granted.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, Bella's phone vibrated. "Hiya Beautiful. How's tricks?" All the Veggies in the room snorted, and I wished once again that I had ears that powerful. "I suggest you save that thought. Your mother is listening."

Even I heard Edward say 'ew'. It set everyone to giggling.

"Yeah, I miss you, too, Mocha-chino. How's Leah?" Everyone listened, and then people started to drift back into their various activities. So, it must have been exactly as they expected. Bella and Edward talked for a while, and after a rather tender 'good-bye', Bella hung up the phone. "It's just as we expected," she informed me. "Leah and Ivo have been -I quote her- swapping spit. Leah is pretty weak right now, and she can't phase, but when she found out she was a Stripe, the first thing she did was worry that she might miss Ivo's book signing today."

"Hah!" Jacob barked, eyes rolling.

The front door opened, admitting a blast of cold air, and Sam and his Pack came in, clad only in their black shorts. His Pack was bigger this morning. More members had arrived for the wedding. The younger ones laughed, shoving each other, and I smiled at them. Sam and Paul crossed the floor to join us. Most of the other pack mates hurried to the kitchen, or stomped up the stairs.

"Bella," Sam acknowledged.

"Hi Sam. Good run?" Bella asked gently.

"Yeah. It's nicer out today." That meant it must not be blizzarding, or slushing. I looked out the far windows flanking the piano. The sun had to be out. The sky was blue. "Any word about Leah?" Sam asked solemnly.

Bella smiled. "We just heard from Edward. Your timing is great. Yeah, Edward and Carlisle are thoroughly convinced that she's now a Stripe, like Jacob and Colin."

Sam grimaced, obviously worried, but resigned. "Is she alright?"

"She appears to be coping beautifully," Esme said happily.

"She loves him, Sam," Jacob told him earnestly.

"But how can she? Their values are fundamentally different," Sam fretted.

"I don't think they're as different as it seemed at first," Bella informed him. "Edward said Ivo is a lovely guy, and you know how cautious he is about Trads. Ivo doesn't kill humans, apparently. He actually lives amongst them and has human friends. Edward is very impressed with him."

"Well," Sam said slowly, "that's encouraging."

"Yes. You know Edward will teach him, Sam," Bella reassured him. "He would never let any harm come to Leah. He's very fond of her. I mean, she's one of the few people on the planet that he's nicknamed, and she actually has two nicknames, not one. That makes her pretty important. I only have two, myself."

He calls Bella 'Minx', and 'Love'. Amongst humans, nicknames tend to change over time, but our vampire-given ones never get stale. He's been calling me his 'Little Angel' for ... over eight years. Wow. He calls Leah 'Fluffy' most of the time, and he calls her 'Smurfette' when he's being sarcastic, or when he wants to remind her she's unique and indispensable. He calls Alice 'Titch' because she's little, and when he's mad at her, he calls her 'The Pixie'; and he calls Rosalie 'Blondie' for obvious reasons. I know he calls Kaure Silva Pereira his 'Little Birdie'. I'm not sure there's anybody else on the planet that has one. Once, I heard him mention a 'Merrytwinkle', but I've never met her.

"Bella, I know this is totally random, but who is Merrytwinkle?" I asked hesitantly. The Cullen females sighed, looking fond.

"Ah, that was my sister, Cynthia," Alice said, shaking her head. "She passed away in 2009 at the age of 101."

I was astounded. "Was she a vampire?" Everyone laughed a little.

"No, she was like you," Alice said with a teasing glint in her eye. "Except she'd have chosen to be one of us, if her Albion had not been killed in 1921."

"Her Albion?" I asked, hoping for a story.

"Yes. He was an old vampire. He saved me from the sanitarium. That's how he met Cynthia. She was only fifteen, and he said he'd come back for her when she was ready for a suitor, but then, he died."

"Oh, that's so sad," I lamented.

"Well, in one way it was. Cynthia missed him, but they never firmly established their mate bond, so she didn't pine. She eventually married Bertram, and they had lots of kids. She was always thankful for her blessings. And thanks to Apple, we discovered that Albion was her Guardian Angel, and when Cynthia passed, Edward said Albion took her away."

"He did?" I said, imagining how it must have been, with Edward _Hearing_ her final thoughts, and I thought I knew what the vampires at her bedside must have thought. It must have been confirmation for them, that their own souls were not lost, just because they were vampires. Lucky that Alice and Jasper's great-something-niece could _See_ people's Guardians. My own is my grandfather Weber, according to Apple, and Edward confirmed it. I thought about having a Guardian escort me to Heaven, and how happy Cynthia must have been to see Albion again. "That seems very romantic."

"Oh, it was. We were all so excited. So, even though we all miss her, we know they're together now in Heaven, and it's a great comfort," Alice smiled. "We'll have to mention her to Edward. He's a big sap that way, you know. Loves to reminisce."

"I know," I declared fondly. "Are all vampires like that?"

"I suppose most of us have things from the past that we want to keep fresh, or wish that the world still ... was like," Esme declared. "The music was better in my day, for instance."

"But the movies are better now," Ren asserted, looking narrowly at her grandmother. "3-D is so much better than Black and White."This ignited a whole lot of scoffing from Bella and Esme.

Sam sighed and turned toward the kitchen. "I hope he's good to her. If he isn't, he'll have me to answer to." The group fell into an uncomfortable silence. I noticed Jacob gave Sam a very strange look.

"She's not your responsibility, Sam," he told the other Alpha. "She's mine."

Sam sighed, looking displeased and impatient. "I know she's had a lot of miserable years, Jake. And I know I ruined her life, or at least many years of it. I spoke out of turn when I said she was a freak and she and Ivo ought to die. I'll give him a chance, okay, out of respect for our coven, here. I want a good life for her, and I want her to be happy. But I also don't want her hurt, or led astray. If he doesn't treat her properly, or he teaches her bad things, he's going to have to answer to me. I've done her enough harm. I'm counting on all of you to make sure she's properly protected."

"She will be, Sam. I promise," Bella said softly.

"I think you're worrying too much," Jacob told him gently. "We'll all be helping them, Sam. We won't let them fail."

"Everyone fails, Jacob. That's life," Sam muttered.

"It's what you learn from your failures that counts," Esme declared gently. Sam nodded gruffly, acquiescing.

"Thanks for not kicking me out, after I lost my temper," he said softly.

"Love isn't love if you hold grudges," Esme responded, wise as always.

"If we give Ivo a lot of unconditional love, he's going to respond beautifully," Alice grinned. "He's so nice."

"He's adorable," Bella declared.

"I dunno, I think he's a little nerdy," Jacob winced.

"Adorkable," Ren said, looking at her mate teasingly.

"He's talented, rich, nice looking, and gentlemanly," Esme said, peering over her knitting.

"Too bad he's so short," Paul grinned.

"Play nice, Paul. It sounds to me like he merits our respect," Jake declared.

"Sure, sure," Paul said, eyes rolling. "Any muffins left, Esme?"

"Your Pack just passed through the kitchen," she smirked. Paul's face fell. "Go, see. If there aren't any left, then look in the freezer. There are a lot more in there. You may get out a couple of dozen. I'll have to make and freeze more for the guests anyway."

"Thanks, Esme," Paul beamed, practically skipping to the kitchen.

The clicking of high heels sounded on the great stair to my right, and Aro's very human event coordinator, Camilla Sala, came swiftly down in her stunning black and red designer suit.

"_Buon giorno, buon giorno,_" she enthused, replete with energy for the day. She sat gracefully on the couch, next to me, and carefully set down an overnight bag on the floor at her feet."Alicia? The men should arrive at any time with the equipment and furniture."

"Yay!" Alice clapped. She was enjoying her new job as assistant to the glamourous lady, who had been planning events for the Italian elite for fifteen years, and had her _own_ plans for the future. _Her_ future. As a vampire. Aro had been after her to join his coven, but Camilla wasn't going to convert until she had milked every possible ounce of money and celebrity out of the rich and famous humans to whom she catered. She was in her prime, at forty-six, and said she might consider changing before the age of fifty, to preserve her handsome looks.

Alice and Esme had decided to hire her, to take the stress off themselves. Leah's wedding was to be a big event, and the Cullens had never arranged to entertain so many guests at once. Not only were multiple species to attend, with various dietary and sleep requirements, but the lodge was isolated, meaning supplies were hard to come by. Aro was delighted to loan out his trusted pet, and Camilla was delighted with the challenge.

Bella told me in confidence that the biggest challenge regarding the wedding would be keeping the peace. She was more worried about Sam's Pack then she was about the handful of Trads whom Alice had _Seen_ attending. Alice said the chances of the party turning into a wild ride were slim to none, however.

"Where are the rest of the gentlemen this morning?" Camilla asked sweetly. "We need to accomplish their final fittings for the Rehearsal costumes, yes?"

"I'm sure we can round them up. Jasper, do you know where Emmett is?" Esme asked.

"He was out, uh, in the garage with Rosalie earlier," Jazz winked.

"Splendid. I have the box of confections here," Camilla declared, indicating her bag. "Are there some among you who would not mind, this beautiful morning, helping to wrap them?"

"Uh, I am previously engaged," Jasper said, bowing slightly. "I must round up the male attendants. Do excuse me, ladies and gentlemen."

Jacob stood up, and handed Lottie to Esme. "What he said." He scooted off after Jasper, leaving us gawping after them.

"They spruced off again," Alice said almost-admiringly.

"Men," Renesmee said, shaking her head.

"Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em, better keep their hands busy," Alice sang.

"Oh, they will be busy alright," Camilla grinned, pulling pink chiffon circles out of her bag and casting them all over the coffee table. "They shall be assembling the tables and chairs as soon as the truck arrives."

**Sunday, February 25th, 2014, circa 1 am:**

There was a commotion in the Great Room, loud enough that it brought people running. Alice and Jasper were having a frantic discussion, and Bella, Emmett and Esme were asking questions. By the time Ben and I crept downstairs to see what all the fuss was about, Seth, the Cullens, the Hales, the Uleys and Blacks were all present. Alice was pacing with a phone to her ear, looking terrified. Finally, she froze. "Edward! Le-" She stopped and listened, looking devastated.

"What's going on?" Sam barked, and the vampires shushed him. The family watched on tenderhooks as Alice spoke to Edward at vampire pitch. I could barely see her lips move, never mind follow it, but everyone looked so upset with their black eyes, that I knew the news had to be awful. Reluctantly, she turned off the phone and faced everyone.

"Damnation!" Jasper cursed softly, starting to pace.

"Should we go?" Esme asked anxiously.

"Where are we supposed to go?" Jasper said, scuffing a Converse-clad foot on the rug. "This stalker teleported Leah right out of an elevator with three male vampires on board. Edward couldn't get anything off her. They could be anywhere." He gnawed his lips in frustration.

A few minutes later, Alice's eyes turned black. "Ivo is going after her. It could turn nasty."

"Stalker?" Sam frowned, trying to keep up.

Bella enlightened all of us. "Ivo has a female stalker. She's human, but exceedingly dangerous. Edward thinks she's talented, like I was. She can teleport in the blink of an eye. Edward thinks her gift is manifesting very powerfully."

Sam's eyes narrowed. "Super. We're going to Toronto. Maybe we can pick up Leah's scent."

"Hold up, Sam. It's wasted effort. If you wait until we hear from them, we'll know where to direct a rescue effort. She could be anywhere," Jacob suggested. Sam didn't like it, but he accepted Jacob's advice.

We waited and waited, but there was no news. Alice declared that Leah was tied up somewhere dark, and that she had decided to escape. However, there was nothing to tell Edward except that she was still alive. I rested my head on Ben's shoulder, exhausted. Alice ironed her forehead, pushing away a headache that had been born in her fruitless effort to _See_. Emily sat silently, with tears running down her cheeks. Jasper paced like a caged lion, and Emmett stood looking out the back window at the moon, while Esme sat with her arm around Rose, who looked stricken.

Edward phoned again a couple of hours after his first call, probably just to commiserate and to give him something to do. He said that Ivo had gone outside his building, pretending to want the attention of his stalker, and that she had shown up after he had shouted, "My love, where are you?" and been all gooey with him, to his revulsion. Then, she had embraced him, and both of them had simply winked out of existence. Edward had expected to hear from Ivo pretty much immediately, because he had given him his cell phone. But time was going on, and there was still no word. And Alice couldn't _See _anything.

"If she could only phase, we could find her through the pack mind," Seth lamented.

"Obviously she still can't, or we'd have heard from her by now," Jasper growled.

At ten to four in the morning, Edward called again, to ask if Alice could get a glimmer of anything, anything at all. She couldn't. She said it was like Leah and Ivo had both simply ceased to exist. She had a feeling that Leah was alive, but there was no way to prove it. I found myself drowsing despite my fretfulness. As time passed, the vampires became increasingly still, the _Kwali Ute_ increasingly restless.

"Can't we do anything, Jasper?" Jacob blurted out at last. Jasper sighed, and shook his head sorrowfully.

"Pray," Esme murmured.

Emmett cleared his throat. "Dear God, we humbly ask for Your help and protection for our dear kinswoman, Leah, who was snatched from us this night, and for her mate, Ivo, who is also missing. Please keep them safe and let them return to us very soon. Please God send news, so that we may be comforted. Comfort Leah and Ivo now, wherever they are. Give us strength, and let us be patient. As always, we wish to serve. Please let us serve, God. We're not really good at sitting with nothing to do. You have infinite power. We ask Your intercession in the name of Jesus. Amen."

"Amen," most of us said quietly. Rose, however, burst into tears.

"What if they're dead? What if she killed them, and we never even find out where they are?" she sobbed.

"Honey, I wish you would have hope," Emmett said, enfolding her in his bearlike embrace. "It's too early to be putting our Smurfette in the ground."

"It's too hard sitting here, with nothing to do," she cried.

Jasper's lips thinned. "Rose is right. Sitting here, watching each other stew, i'n't gonna solve a thing. We should be resting. We should all go to our lairs and those who can sleep should try to get some. Then, if there's a rescue mission to mount, we'll be strong and ready to act."

We were all drifting unhappily up the stairs when Alice shrieked, startling everyone. "She's coming home! She phased, and she's coming home. She's not happy, but she's alright, and she's going to get here in the late afternoon."

"Thank God!" Esme said loudly.

"Let's get our boys," Jacob ordered, beaming at Sam and Seth. Within a short time, all the _Kwali_ were congregated in the Great Room, and soon after that, they were bounding out into the snow, toward the south.

"We should thank God, don't you think?" I smiled, looking at Rosalie. She gave me a filthy look.

"God doesn't exist. You're deluding yourselves." I saw Emmett droop, but he didn't let her see. Rose turned to him, lip quivering. "Em? I want William. After we see Leah, can we go home?"

Emmett ran his hand through his hair. "Uh, Hon'? He's going to be here tomorrow. There's no point in us running for him. We'd cross him on the way in all likelihood. We can phone him this morning, though, okay Mama?"

Rose pressed a hand to her forehead. "Okay, Big Bear. You're right. I just miss him so much."

"Me too, Baby. Me too." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

Jasper sighed, sounding relieved. "God? Thank You for helping. Please return Leah to us safe and sound, and let us find out quickly what's happened to Ivo."

And all the Christians said 'amen'.

"Where _is _Ivo?" Bella asked Alice, looking dreadful.

"I don't know," Alice said sorrowfully. "I can't _See_ him at all. The stalker's thoughts are too random. I can't read her. And I have been able to read Ivo quite easily, but now I can't. He's not with Leah. He's either dead or he's stopped making decisions. You know what it reminds me of? Edward, after he left you. He stopped participating in life, and I stopped being able to _See_. It got so bad, that I couldn't tell if he was dead or alive. It was awful."

Jasper put his arm around his wife. "C'mon Jelli. Time to rest. Perhaps we'll find out what happened, from Leah, this afternoon."

"Okay, Jazzy," Alice said. "Just let me phone Edward and tell him the news. At least he'll feel better about Leah."

"Okay, Jelli. You just do that."

"Come on, Ang. We need to sleep," Ben directed me, taking my elbow. Wearily, we trudged upstairs to bed.

**Sunday, February 25th, 2014, 4:45 pm:**

At last, the front door slammed open, and Leah ran through it, looking harrassed. Sam hovered over her, badgering her for information. She ignored him, heading straight upstairs to her room. The _Kwali_ Warriors barged inside, brushing snow off their bare heads and chests. Sam turned angrily to Jacob.

"You have no right to keep it from me," he snarled. Uh-oh. He was working himself into a tantrum again.

"Sam. You are upsetting Leah," Jacob told him firmly.

"He hurt her. I knew he would. Embry said he was all over his victim like a cur in heat, and then he drank her blood. I told you he was bad news. He's a Trad. They're addicts. Creatures of habit. She's better off alone. Brave, brave Leah! She was so strong to leave him like that. She's better off without that depraved tick. I knew he couldn't be good enough for her. She deserves-"

"Sam!" Jacob snapped, nipping Sam's tirade in the bud. "She imprinted on him. No matter what happens, this is going to be really hard on her. Now, it's time to stop ranting, and let her unwind so we can get her to talk to us. I hate to break it to you, but you're not her favourite person, so kindly settle down and let us help her deal."

Sam just kept talking. "Aw, it must be awful for her, going against her bond to leave him. Leah is such a fine person. Imagine having the strength to confront that devious-"

"Sam! Enough!" Jacob said firmly.

"But I only want what's best for her," he protested hotly. "I know I can help her, but she needs to talk."

"Sam! I forbid you to ask her anything. You're too biased. Furthermore, Leah is my Beta, not yours. It is not your place to be getting involved."

"Just because Renesmee is nice doesn't mean you can apply that to Ivo," Sam said hotly. "He's obviously a nasty-"

Jacob was definitely annoyed. "Sam, do I have to forbid you to talk? Listen to Leah: she's crying her heart out. Not only is she devastated about whatever has happened between her and her mate, she's probably humiliated, too. Now drop it."

"But," Sam protested.

"Sam, you're showing entirely too much interest. She's your ex-girlfriend, and she doesn't like you. Now butt out, and let Jacob handle it," Emily snapped.

Sam looked cowed. "I only want to protect her, Emily."

"Then be quiet. You don't protect someone's heart by criticizing the man she's in love with," Emily said firmly.

Sam crossed his arms. "He's hardly a man, Em."

"I can't believe you said that!" she snapped, then softened. "You can't help who you love, Sam. You ought to know that better than anybody. Now, let Jacob and her pack mates handle this. She hates us. There's nothing we can do, except respect her privacy."

Sam deflated. "Okay, Emmy. I know. I'm really sorry for how badly I treated her. I just want to make it up to her."

"Then don't interfere. Let her make her own choices," Emily directed, still irritated. She composed herself and peeked up at him. "I'd like you to help out with Alex for a while. He's been asking for your attention."

"Okay."

"He would love for you to tell him a story," she said wistfully. "Claire, too."

"That sounds nice," Sam agreed. "Okay, Emmy."

"Thanks, Sam."

"You're not mad at me, are you?" he asked softly. She lifted a shoulder.

"Just ... I'm hoping she'll forgive me now. We used to be best friends, Sam. I'd really like for her not to be angry at me any more."

Sam wilted. "I guess we'll have to ... work on that." I knew he would do anything for Emily. "She's not going to care about anything right now, though, Emmy, if she can't be with her Imprint."

"I know, Sam. I know."

**Tuesday, February 27th, 2014, circa 9am:**

Bella did the vampire equivalent of trudging down the stairs, and sank onto the sofa, pinching her nose with a sigh.

"You ever notice how married people start to look alike?" I teased. She snorted.

"Very funny. If you were trying to figure her out, you'd have a headache, too," she told me.

"I get them all the time," Ben said with mock sadness.

"Brat," I said, handing Ethan the teddy bear that Rosalie had given him. He squealed and toddled off with it. Theo chased after him, saying 'bay bay bay'. I turned my attention back to Bella. Tina crawled out from behind the couch, and hauled herself up Bella's ankles. She squeaked an earsplitting squeak, and Bella winced. Vampire babies could be highly disconcerting. They started crawling within a couple of days of birth, and it didn't take them too long to figure out how to stand up, either, although they could fall with a _flump_ on their diapered bottoms just as easily as any other baby.

Bella picked her up, and ruffled up her spiky hair. "I don't know how these kids ended up looking like Alice."

"Alice looks so different with long hair," I mused, shaking my head.

"You think _she_ looks different, you should have seen Jasper the year he dyed it black."

"Jasper dyed his hair black? That's a sin," I moaned.

"I know, right?" Bella said, her mouth turning up wryly. "He lost a bet to Emmett. Emmett was just glad he won, because if he'd lost, he'd have had to shave his head."

"Eesh. They like to bet, don't they?" I grimaced. "Remember when Eric lost that bet, and he had to sing 'Three Little Maids' in the Washington State talent show?"

"A day to remember," Bella said, smiling. "I'm so glad Tanya got that on camera."

"One of the few things Tanya has put on camera, that anybody's safe to watch."

The phone rang. "I'll get it," Bella called, flitting over at vamp speed to get it. She stood beside the multi-line phone with Tina tucked under her arm, limbs dangling. The baby squealed again with glee. "Hi, Love. You do? ... She misses him terribly. Yep... Yep. She says she doesn't want to see him. I think she's afraid someone might hurt him. So do you know what happened?"

Alice came tearing into the room. "You can't ask him, Bella. It changes the odds to Ivo's detriment."

Bella sighed into the phone. "She's not going to be happy... Okay... Okay. How are you?" There was a very long pause. "Oh, you brat. Well, it had to be done, right?... You will?" she asked, brightening. "Thank God! I'll tell Esme. Yeah, I'm counting the minutes," she grinned. "Hurry. Yes, I love you too. I will. Bye." She put the phone back on its cradle, starry-eyed.

"Edward, I presume," I teased.

She nodded, jumped up, and skipped to the middle of the Great Room floor. "Esme?" she sang, and it echoed in the rafters. The matriarch came out onto a second floor balcony, brushing her hair.

"Yes, darling?"

"They've got Ivo." A bunch of other vampires came out of the woodwork. Bella smiled up at them, her eyes molten gold. "He's safe. He's not in good shape, though. Carlisle thinks he probably got into a sorry state quickly, because he changed to our diet so recently. He's not used to being less than fully sated. He's pretty dehydrated, and very depressed. When they first picked him up, he was practically catatonic, but they've stopped to hunt twice, and he's tons better."

"When did they find him?" Jasper wanted to know.

"About five o'clock this morning. The stalker had transported him and Leah to Exeter. Edward says they should be home by suppertime."

"They're coming home?" Esme beamed.

"Yes!" Bella grinned.

"Be a relief," Jasper said. "She's getting worse."

"Yeah," Bella agreed. "She's stopped eating again. We might need you to settle them down enough to talk, Jazz."

"I'll be there for the General, Bee. You know that. I think I'm gonna like this fellow, anyway. Sounds like he's really into history. We'll have lots to jaw about, I bet."

"Thanks, Jazzy."

"Any time, Bee."

**Tuesday February 27th, circa 4:45pm:**

It was already dark. The fire burned cheerfully in the enormous stone fireplace. Sam's pack sat on the floor in front of it, playing board games. The older men watched hockey on the big screen. Claire was at the piano, practising her Hanons. All of the children seemed to be running or crawling in and out and between everybody else. It was kind of chaotic, and at the same time, peaceful. The smell of savoury chile con carne and garlic bread drifted out of the kitchen, making my mouth water. The _Kwali_ had taken some of us outside for a ride through the still woods, and despite a large afternoon snack, I was starving. It must have raised my metabolism.

Em and Rosalie had their adorable little boy between them, reading him picture books. They looked so happy, which was normal for Emmett, but not how I was used to seeing Rose. Little William was too cute: sandy-haired, and round-faced, with astonishingly blue eyes. He turned them curiously up at his parents, asking questions in two languages: English, and Brazilian Portuguese. He had tried to converse with Ben earlier, and plainly we were no good at deciphering his accent. I could barely understand a word he said. Whenever Ben had said, 'pardon?', the child had switched to Spanish. Even if he were human, he was going to be a typical Cullen wunderkind.

I had also asked his middle name. Rosalie told me regretfully that it was another secret. The child's middle name matched his birth father's, and it was highly distinctive. They would only say that they had wanted him desperately, and that they wanted to protect him for his parents' sake. The unspoken conclusion was that his birth parents were unable to protect him themselves.

I was ravenous to have the story. How on earth had they come to be the legal guardians of a human baby? I had asked to take their picture, but Alice had informed me that that was an inviolable rule: apparently, William had an extremely important future, and it would be threatened if his existence were made public before he was old enough to turn. The little family consequently spent most of their time in the Amazon, at the Aid Station, away from Newborns on the one hand, and the bulk of human society on the other. And yet, Alice had insisted that having him here for the wedding would be fine, which didn't seem to make sense. I asked her, and she said it was too foggy to See, but that it was important that he was not in South America for the month. She wouldn't elaborate.

Abruptly, Jasper sat up straight, his eyes morphing black. "What is it, Jelli?" My eyes flew to Alice, who was quivering, Tina clutched between her hands. "It's okay, Jellicle. Give me the baby, and tell me what you _See._" He carefully loosed Alice's fingers, and whisked Tina away, into the waiting hands of her father. Alice whimpered. Then, her eyes started to sharpen, and she looked at Jasper in horror.

"Collect all the humans and children. Emergency protocol," she breathed.

"Is it an enemy?" Jasper asked worriedly, scooping Theo into the air by his overall straps as he toddled by. Theo squeeked, making the Vamps cover their sensitive ears.

"No. Just in case the worst happens. Low odds. Get them away. _They're_ almost here. Be casual."

Jasper marched over to Ethan, and plucked him up by _his_ overall straps, making jet plane noises. The boys squealed, delighted. All the Cullens and Jacob got up, and scooped the kids from the room. They called that casual?

Bella put on a big smile that wasn't very convincing. She always was a terrible liar. "Ang? Ben? Come and see the nursery."

"Okay," we chorused, and she put an arm around each of us, giving Rose a meaningful look as she passed by.

"Rose? Bring William for a minute, would you, please?" Bella said nicely.

"Sure," Rosalie said hesitantly.

"Em, you stay there," Bella directed. Jasper came back into the room. We passed him, and allowed Bella to pull us into the hall situated just before the kitchen.

"What's up, Bee?" Rosalie asked softly.

"Hush. _Alice_," she said curtly, pushing into a doorway to the left. Inside was a very large room, with a climber in it, and a huge number of toys. We crossed it, to another door. Inside was sort of an arcade, with a big huge TV and lots of games. We crossed it, to another door, inside which was a quiet room with a fridge and cradles, rocking chairs, and playpens. Naturally, Ben and I had already seen it several times.

My heart was beating much too fast.

"What's happening, Mom?" Ren breathed.

"Alice said Dad and Carlisle would be home pretty soon, with Ivo. She said we should get the children away, in case of the worst-case scenario happening. It's unlikely, but we're not taking any chances. Rose and Ben? I want you to stay in here with the children and their mothers, until we tell you it's safe to come out."

Ben looked pretty flattered to be asked. He nodded, his mouth firm. What a doll.

"Yes, Bella," Rosalie said, setting William down. Esme brought in a couple of worried-looking young women, and immediately went back out.

"They're here," Bella breathed. "Jacob, let's go."

" 'Kay, Mom."

"Shut up."

"Yes Ma'am."

All the vampires were gone except Rosalie. She flitted past the humans closest to the first door in the first room, and shut it quickly. It clanged. She opened a nearby cupboard, pulled out an eight inch wide metal beam, two inches thick, and slid it into two slots on either side of the door. The last humans filed in. Rose passed through the second door, and repeated the procedure, then came back into our room, and secured it, too.

I realized there were no windows, and the room was protected on three sides by other rooms. We were on lock-down. She approached a little panel on the wall, and flipped a switch. I heard the hissing of air coming through the pipe. I noticed another metal door opposite the entrance to the room. It was secured with a keypad. "What's in that room, Rose?"

"Armoury," she murmured.

My stomach lurched. "As in guns?" I squeaked.

"Machine guns, rocket launchers, tasers, grenades, flamethrowers, bombs, you name it, it's in there," she said grimly.

"I thought you were pacifists," I gasped.

"You never met Caius."

"Rose, what's going on?" Kim asked, cuddling Nelda.

"Alice _Saw_ something. It's probably fine, but we don't take chances with our most precious people."

"I'm hungry," Claire said, her brows contracted in a plea.

"Well, let's see what's in the snack closet, shall we?" Rosalie said. "We're having a little game, Sweeties: Hide and Seek. We all need to stay hidden in here until somebody says we win."

"But it ammost time fo suppies," William protested.

"Oh, look what Mommy found in the snack closet, Willy: chocolate pudding. Enough for everybody," Rose smiled, passing it out.

"Puh-" Theo supplied happily. Ethan clapped.

"Yay!" Claire said, clapping, too.

"Let's turn on the TV and see if we can find something on Netflix, okay? And we'll have ourselves a nice little party until Granddad Carlisle gets here and tells us we can come out. You guys can roll the beanbag chairs over here, and we'll all pretend to be little birdies in nests."

"Granddad Carlisle is _It_?" Claire frowned.

"Yes. He'll be home soon. Won't that be nice?" Rose beamed. "Have some pudding."

"Otay," Willy said happily. "Tockit pudding id bedder dan tiwwy soup."

"Sure it is," his mother said, distractedly, flipping through various icons for films. I wondered nervously what could be so distracting to a vampire.

" _'Free Willy'_!" Claire demanded, pointing.

"What did you caw me?" Willy frowned.

"It's a movie, silly, about whales."

"Wayos are scawy," Willy frowned. His mother did a double-take, and stared at the door, black-eyed.

"How 'bout '_Snow White and Rose Red'_?" Claire suggested.

"Dats fo _garotas_."

"Girls," Ben told him.

"Gills."

"Good boy," Claire said.

Rose flipped through more of the movies on offer. Emily sidled up beside her. "This is because of Sam, isn't it?"

Rosalie looked at her sadly. "I don't know. Bella didn't have time to say."

Emily gave her an angry look. "You can hear them."

The lovely vampire bit her lips. "Sam set his pack on Ivo." Emily gasped, cringing in disbelief. Rose hurried to reassure her. "He's alright. Jake intervened."

"Thank God! I dunno what's gotten into Sam. We've trusted you for years. Why is he suddenly questioning everything? He's challenged Edward's authority, hasn't he?"

"Just relax. Jasper's sedating the room, and Edward's talking Sam down. He's the best communicator on the continent, don't forget."

Emily looked nervously at the door, wringing her hands. "He won't hurt him, will he?"

I wondered of whom she was speaking: Edward and Sam, or Sam and Ivo.

"No, Edward would never hurt Sam. He's very kind, and he doesn't hold grudges. Now, the best thing you can do is help to keep the babies entertained. I don't think we'll be stuck in here long, but-"

"Goggies!" Theo hollered, pointing at the screen.

"Gog-gies! Gog-gies! Gog-gies!" Ethan said, doing a little dance.

" _'Doggies for Hire'_?" Rose asked.

"Yes!" the kids clapped. Ben and I clapped, too. Everyone sat down to watch the movie, which was doubtless delightful. The special effects with the talking dogs were really good, especially when the PI, Detective Pucci, broke into the villain's lair. Unfortunately, the adults couldn't enjoy it. We were all too nervous. We had been pretending to watch for about twenty minutes when Rose's voice rang out.

"Yes?" she called, and listened. Then, she turned to Emily, who was waiting anxiously to hear what was said. "It's Jazz. He wants us to come out. He thinks it will make Sam feel more conscious of the need to keep calm."

"Let's go," Emily said, rising smoothly to her feet.

"Okay," Rosalie said, unbarring the door. Everyone picked up their babies, and took the hands of the little ones. I picked up Ethan, and Ben took Theo. "Now, kids? We're going to a very important meeting. You need to be quiet, and stay close to your Mommies."

"So Granddad isn't coming to get us?" Claire asked narrowly.

"He'll see us in the Great Room," Rosalie promised. We trooped out to the next door, and she double-checked with Jasper, who told her to hurry up. We entered the third room, where she removed the bar, and opened the door. Jasper stood outside, looking like a soldier on duty.

"Come," he said simply, leading the way. As soon as we were out of the rooms, he vanished. Voices were ringing in the crowded hall. We filtered into the background. There were at least a hundred and fifty souls in the room, standing at intervals between all the round tables. Nobody was sitting, because the chairs were still stacked against the wall.

"That's cryptic," Embry said loudly. A few of the Kwali muttered in agreement. Edward was standing on the low platform at the far end of the room. I noticed that Rose chose a spot near the dining room, close to an exit. I looked at the dais, and realized there was a person sitting between Edward's feet. It had to be Ivo.

"Gan!" Theo enthused, pointing at Carlisle, who gave him a tense smile. I shushed my son, kissing him on the temple.

"Sam, you know me. Can I be trusted?" Edward asked softly.

Sam looked both angry and depressed. "I _should_ trust you, Edward. You have demonstrated a dedication to humanity throughout your life, and you have wiped out Trads who were murderers before. Don't tell me this one is worth saving, just because of Leah."

The vampire at Edward's feet shrank against his leg. Edward looked calmly at Sam. "He repents."

Sam laughed incredulously. "What does that matter? He's killed. He has a taste for it. Vampires are creatures of habit. Once a Trad, always a Trad."

Edward blew out his breath heavily. "I've told you before Sam, not to judge people."

"The Creator gave us the power of discernment so we can tell good from evil!" he roared. All of us tensed. The room was vibrating with his challenge. Ben took my hand, grasping it firmly.

Edward looked up at Sam, head cocked a little to the side. "To prevent those who are unrepentant from harming the innocent."

"He's a threat!" Sam bellowed, stomping his foot down so hard that I feared it would crack the hardwood.

Edward wasn't flustered. His hand fell to Ivo's head: a benediction. "Then we're all a threat. Any of us could change our minds about being good, including you. You need to stop playing God. I'm not going to let you kill him." Leah whimpered, regarding her mate with desperation. Ivo clearly mouthed 'I love you'. All of us females fell in love with him a little. Edward continued, "He has my endorsement, and is under my protection."

"He's a threat!" Sam reiterated aggressively. Leah cried out, and Carlisle clutched her to keep her from throwing herself forward. He whispered something in her ear. At the same time, Jasper and Emmett moved to Edward's sides.

"I was a Trad, Sam." Edward said solemnly. "For nearly three years."

It was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. Ben and I looked at each other in shock, then he rolled his eyes and shrugged, as if to say 'well, he's certainly not a bloodsucker any more'. The humans near me seemed to be having the same reaction. The _Kwali _had more mixed reactions. Some were dismissive, others wary. They eyed their pack mates and leaders for guidance.

"You're lying!" Sam roared. Well, that would be the easiest explanation, but somehow I didn't think it was the case.

Edward cocked his head to one side, folding his arms. "Why should I lie?"

"Out of some misguided compassion for that thing snivelling at your feet," Sam spat, gesturing at Ivo. I saw Emily's head drop. His behaviour was obviously disappointing her.

"He's not a thing," Edward growled. "He is a _person_."

"Not for much longer, he isn't," Sam snarled, sinking into an aggressive crouch, visibly vibrating. Oh, no. Would he phase in a crowded room, occupied by fragile humans and children? Was that what Alice _Saw_? I was filled with dread. Beside me, Ben stared fiercely, clutching my hand. I tightened my hold on Theo, preparing to run. A sickening sense of lethargy permeated the atmosphere. Jasper was using his gift.

"You do as you're told, Sam, no violence," Jacob snarled loudly. Sam grunted in frustration.

Edward continued to speak mildly. "I'm really surprised you think Ivo is weak. I'd say he's pretty strong, considering you're threatening to kill him, and he already dislikes you based on things Leah has told him. He knows if he moves it will validate your excuse to kill him. He's extremely well-controlled considering he's a blood-drinker. And he's also wondering if you're planning to phase in a room full of innocents. Seems to me, he's exhibiting more dedication to the preservation of human life than you are right now."

"Hah. Go ahead, bloodsucker. Defend him just because he's one of your own kind. I never thought to see the day when Edward Cullen would lie to protect a Trad," Sam pouted.

"I'm not lying, Sam. I was a Trad. I was young, and rebellious, and I thought God didn't love or want me any more. I figured as long as I was a soulless monster, I might as well go to Hell thoroughly," Edward admitted quietly. The crowd shifted uneasily, but waited on his leadership. My understanding of the degree of respect everyone held for him grew. He pwned almost all of these people. They trusted him. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a couple of hundred people here, and they all looked to him for guidance, even more than they looked to Carlisle. When had Edward gotten so powerful? It was... an eye-opener. He really _was_ a vampire Dom.

"No," Sam protested.

"Carlisle will tell you."

"No. I know we're both mad right now, Edward, but I know you can't _ever_ have behaved like a Trad. You've built something noble here in this house. Don't lie to jeopardize it," Sam pleaded. I knew he very much respected Edward. This confession had to be rocking his world.

Edward pulled in a large breath, and sighed it out. He faced Sam's eyes squarely. "I had a fight with Carlisle. I left home. I was always thirsty. Never satisfied. Restless. I tried to justify my actions by picking off criminals. _Hundreds _of them. And for a long time, Sam, I enjoyed it."

The audience started to whisper, but very quickly, turned their attention back to Edward. My own respect for him grew by leaps and bounds. All these disparate beings were solidly at his back. Wow.

"No," Sam moaned, sounding like tears threatened him. It was sad, really. His view of people was so narrow.

"Daddy?" Ren whimpered.

"I'm sorry, Baby Girl. It's true," Edward said softly, without taking his attention from Sam. His face twisted with self-loathing and regret. "After a while the ... delectable taste, the ... satiation, the extinguished flame of my previously burning throat ... just didn't make up for the guilt. Carlisle and Esme will tell you how I crawled back to them on my knees, begging for forgiveness, with eyes full of blood." There was more muttering in the crowd. Almost every eye rested on him with respect.

"Edward is telling you the truth, Sam," Carlisle affirmed. "Just look at all the good he has done. Had we turned him away, or murdered him for his actions, he would not have had the opportunity to influence so many of our kind toward vegetarianism. Also, although he will be unhappy to have me say it, he has created charities in his lifetime that support humans with millions of dollars."

_Millions? _Edward ducked his head sheepishly. Bella was standing at the foot of the dias, to his rear. Her chin came up proudly. Em and Jazz also seemed to change before my eyes: instead of two protective brothers, they became high guardians to the President. Only, vampires didn't do democracy so much. No, he was a king of sorts. The change in the family dynamic was... striking. My entire perception of their existences, and my place in their inner circle, was altered forever. I suddenly really wanted to talk to Carlisle. Bella used to say that his coven was one of the three largest in the world, back when there were ten core members. But Edward's following was... unbelievably huge. And Carlisle seemed perfectly content to let him have the honour.

Sam's surety began to visibly waver. Everyone could see that he wanted to believe it was possible for a Trad to change.

"I'm not that man anymore," Edward said firmly. "It's a lifetime ago. I changed."

Jasper shifted on his feet. "I'm not that man anymore either, and I killed a lot more humans than Edward. Innocent humans, not nasty ones."

"I'm not that man now, either," Em boomed. "And unlike my brothers, I killed women, too."

"So did I," Esme chimed in, her voice firm.

"I'm not that woman," Rosalie declared, and her voice rang in the rafters. "I'm not the same person who avenged herself on her attackers and their innocent bodyguards." I noticed that she was no longer holding her son. She had sent him off somewhere, with someone she trusted, to keep him safe if a fight broke out. I wondered again what his existence meant for humanity.

Was Edward's family going to save humankind someday? Or was I over-exaggerating William's importance?

"You... you're all Trads?" Sam gawped, deflating.

Edward shifted his weight a little. "No, Sam, we're _not_. That's my point. Being a Vegetarian is a choice. We make it on a daily basis. And we choose it gladly, even though it is sometimes difficult to resist our thirst. All of our throats burn, almost all the time. Even those of Vegetarians who have never murdered anyone, like Carlisle and Bella. But managing a sore throat is infinitely preferable to killing people."

"But... you're good. You... take care of people. You..." Sam said, lost for words.

"And that is my point. Things... change. Thank God!"

Thank God, indeed! For all our sakes.

"It is much easier to endure a sore throat than it is to live with the guilt of being a cannibal," Carlisle declared, looking at his coven members. "Would any of you go back to life the way it used to be when you were killers?"

"No," all the vampires chorused. I looked at Ben. We effectively swore oaths of fealty in our heads, in that moment. How I loved the Cullens! What a privilege to be called the Dom's Little Angel, and call him Big Brother.

"And Ivo is already well-controlled. He interacts with humans all the time. He exhibits his art, goes to events surrounding his books, has human friends over daily, uses the subway, works at a university... Something happened that interfered with that," Edward informed everyone. "Ivo met his Singer."

The vampires groaned, and look at one another in undisguised relief. I wriggled with excitement. He was going to tell us more about Singers!

"But Mom was your Singer, and you didn't kill her," Renesmee protested, looking tearful. It had to be awfully confusing for her.

"I was mated to your mother," Edward reminded her. "and I fought my inclination to kill her for months. It was always a terrifying possibility. Wasn't it, Bella?"

"Yes, Mocha-chino. I always knew you might lose control. I always had to tread carefully." Bella stood with her arms crossed, daring anyone to come near her mate. And here, the high school kids used to think her such a mouse. Well, obviously, after he left, she was shattered. She was born to be Dona Isabella, queen of the New World. The allusion to Columbus was not lost on me. It fit them very well.

"I was in love with her, and still had to fight the impulse to kill her," Edward explained. "Ivo was not emotionally connected to his Singer. He had no willpower to save her. It was a tragedy that they met. For both killer and victim." Ivo looked down in grief. He looked so small, reminding me of the dog that begs under God's table. Only Edward wasn't God. He admitted his fallibility on a regular basis. Shame he _couldn't_ run for US President. He'd have knocked Congress on its ear.

"So... the stalker was his Singer?" Leah asked Edward, her eyes examining her mate.

"Yes. There's really no way he could have stopped himself. The lust for a Singer is all-consuming," Edward declared. The Cullens all murmured in agreement. Leah looked devastated, and raised apologetic eyes to Ivo, who smiled at her. I was really getting to like him. Like Edward, he was not a person to hold grudges.

"So if one of you met your Singer, even Carlisle, it would be your philosophy that it is okay to kill the Singer?" Sam asked incredulously. A lot of people groaned and sighed in frustration. He wasn't getting the point.

Seth folded his arms in disgust. "Sam, you're such an a-"

"That's not what I said," Edward interrupted curtly, preventing Seth from calling names. "It's wrong, but if circumstances are beyond someone's control, and they fail, we take remorse into account. Our philosophy is that it is wrong to kill people, and it is to be avoided as much as possible, even if those people are our enemies. However, we understand how it feels to hurt someone innocent." Edward's eyes rested on Emily. Both she and Sam blushed furiously.

It never would have gone over in a democracy, because it embarrassed her. But it was time that Sam be called to account, for criticizing behaviour that he himself had indulged in. Edward watched him without relenting. "It feels horrible to hurt someone when you're out of control. It's even worse to kill them. The guilt is crushing. When you hurt someone, you hurt yourself more. Why do you think we live together in such large groups? It helps us to avoid failure and wickedness. It also keeps us accountable, and it helps us protect our loved-ones hearts and spirits."

"Trads don't have consciences," Sam declared provocatively, narrowing his eyes at Ivo in challenge. "They kill over and over without regret. They're self-centered and shallow. I doubt he even loves Leah. Look how he betrayed her! Embry said he was all over his victim like a cur in- "

"How do you know how we feel?" Ivo roared, leaping to his feet. Almost everyone present jumped fearfully, except Edward, who clutched Ivo's arm, holding him back. The smaller man looked trustingly up at the immovable Dom, deferring to his leadership. Edward squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, and Ivo turned to Sam, and spoke more calmly. "How do you know anything about me, Samuel Uley? Yes, I know who you are, and what you did. I do not think that you should be criticizing me for hurting Leah, considering that you used her in every possible way and tossed her aside. I love her more than someone like _you_ can possibly imagine."

"And exactly what sort of person do you think I am?" Sam growled threateningly. Every hair on my body stood up on end.

"The sort of person who pushes a young girl to sleep with him, does not care for her needs, and abandons her for someone he considers better, destroying her dreams of marriage and children!" Ivo spit.

Leah hid her face sheepishly, then gradually came out of her shell, as though acknowledging the truth of the matter, as though she was sure for the first time, that she would not be judged and found wanting. Bella and her stepmother, her sisters, and friends had been trying to get that message across to Leah for years. I realized with a jolt that Ivo had somehow taught her that she was ... _worth more_ than she had been given by Sam. For the first time, she was standing up for herself. Wow. And they had only been together a couple of weeks? Edward had better watch out. This small fellow was a force to be reckoned with. He had moved Gibraltar.

"I _imprinted_ on Emily!" Sam protested at top volume. A lot of people near the front backed up a step. A few of the vampires growled and crouched reflexively. Edward signalled them and they stood straight. I saw Emily sob and cover her mouth. Oh, no. She must have felt so... awkward. Sam must have realized how bad it sounded. He decided to lower his voice. "Not that I don't love my wife, she's perfect for me. But I didn't have a choice."

Ivo crossed his arms, smiling smugly, and gestured triumphantly. "And Leah imprinted on me. Therefore, our bond is just as valid as yours and your wife's."

"He's good," Emmett muttered, looking at Ivo with respect.

Sam, however, was determined to kick a dying horse. "I was happy for Leah until I found out you were a Trad."

"I am _not_ a Trad. Not in the way you mean. I haven't killed a human, except my Singer, in more than two decades. I have killed only a handful of humans in the past century, and those instances were when I found individuals who were despicable. For the past three years, I've had a highrise condo in Toronto, and I have a few good human friends. I don't want to kill people. It makes me unhappy, and it's rash and foolish when there are other ways to feed. I've been following the new diet well, haven't I Leah?"

There was a pause. "Ivo has been doing very well on the Vegetarian diet," Leah husked.

He shook his long hair out of his dark eyes. "There! You see? I want to be good, Sam, and I will do it for Leah, even if the Cullens have to pull out all my teeth to keep me that way. They will teach me, and I will do as I'm told. In that way, I will be able to protect my Leah."

"He's perfectly genuine," Edward declared, folding his hands behind his back. "Won't you trust me, and give him a chance?"

We all stood on tender hooks as Sam spent a minute considering. "Since you and your family used to be Trads, and you now behave admirably, I ... guess."

"We done here, Sam?" Edward asked quietly.

Sam obviously wanted to argue, but he surrendered, and stepped closer to Ivo. "_Are_ we done here?"

Ivo, with Edward's hand on his shoulder, nodded curtly. "I came here peaceably. I do not wish to quarrel with you, Samuel Uley."

"If you treat Leah well, I will have no quarrel with you, Ivo whoever-you-are. Assuming she'll take you back after the way you behaved." He still looked disgusted.

" Ivo Iluak. It means 'The Archer Who Does Good Things'. I am sorry for the way I behaved. I was weak to fall into destructive behaviour. It will not happen again. I have a family now, that will not allow me to fail." He held his head up proudly.

Edward slapped Ivo on the shoulder, and he swayed a little, making his Dom chuckle and smile. "That's good enough for me, Sam. Is it good enough for you?"

Sam resigned the battle. "I guess... it's only right of me to give him a chance. But he had _better _behave himself."

Edward offered his hand to Sam. "Friends?" he asked uncertainly.

With very little hesitation, Sam shook on it. "Friends," he agreed. He looked at Ivo calculatingly. "Truce?"

"Truce," Ivo agreed happily, shaking his hand.

"Don't let me down," Sam warned.

"I do not wish to let _myself_ down," Ivo declared. Nobility was not dead, I decided. Ivo turned to Leah. Carlisle looked so proud of him. Edward whispered something in Leah's ear, then drew Ivo back under his arm to address the room. His voice sang through the hall. "I, Dom Edward Anthony Masen Cullen di Volturi Yawaruna, claim Ivo Iluak for my new kinsman, under the mantle of the Yawaruna Coven of the Amazonas." Nearly everyone in the room clapped and cheered. How wonderful.

Carlisle yelled happily over the noise. "And I, Dom Carlisle Volturi Cullen, claim Ivo Iluak di Yawaruna for my new kinsman, under the mantle of the Cullen Coven of Olympia and Muskoka."

Emmett stepped forward. "I, Vice-Dom Emmett Wallace McCarty Cullen di Yawaruna, officially welcome our new member to the family. I give you Ivo Iluak Cullen di Yawaruna."

Ivo was so excited that he picked Leah up and swung her in a circle. Then, he got all shy, and pulled back. She would not allow him to retreat. They whispered something to each other. Probably apologies. Then, Ivo pressed his face against her cheek, and she nuzzled him back. How adorable. They were just about to get snoggy when Edward got between them and muttered something. _Aw! Edward! Don't wreck the show!_ But the audience was already pressing forward, with the closest family members in the lead. It was time to welcome Ivo to the fold.

"Good thing you told me what Edward was," Ben told me, looking awestruck. "I never would have understood this day otherwise."

I was contrite. "Ben, I didn't find out until close to the time we got married, and they only told me because I arrived the day Edward was bitten by a Great White. We all wanted to tell you, but it was a dangerous time. They had a war brewing with Caius. Alice said that if we told you, it would result in your death. The war heated up, and meanwhile the Cullens had to move, because people were getting suspicious of them. Caius sent Trads and they cast suspicion on the Cullens for several murders. The FBI even came to question them. It took a long time for the dust to settle. Years until they felt safe again. So I hope you'll forgive us for taking so long to let you into the circle of trust."

Ben shook his head, bemused. "I never knew we'd be witnesses to Camelot. Or that my dear friend was really Arthur."

I shook my head. "He's not Arthur. If anything, he's Lancelot. I can't imagine the story going wrong this time, Ben. Look at him: he's majestic."

Edward still had his arm around Ivo, making introductions. It was very slow going. Each person in the crowd took their time, and I knew Ivo would be memorizing names and faces and affiliations. It was more meaningful than a wedding's receiving line, but it had the same purpose.

"Beautiful mens, aren't they?" a voice mused beside me, and I found Camilla Sala looking admiringly at them.

"Yes. Will you join this coven?" I asked curiously. She smiled curiously back.

"No. I go home to Aro in Italy. He has been my friend these twenty-three years. Very like his friend Edward, is Aro, only perhaps less patient. But I would never betray his friendship to me, and after all, their brand of friendship is unalterable. The world is a big place. There will always be room for two good Doms. I, myself, wish to hold Aro's hand and show him this day. He will be delighted. He always said Edward Cullen Yawaruna would go far, and he will be thrilled for his brother, Dom Carlisle." She looked at me, evaluating. "So will you join this coven, when you are changed?"

I was startled. I smiled at her self-consciously. "Oh. I'm already part of the coven, and Edward assures me _that_ will never change. He respects my wish to remain human. He says he wants me to put in a word or two on his behalf, when I get to Heaven someday."

Camilla chuckled. "Then you are amongst the most important people here. You are a darling. Will you put in a word with God for me, as well?"

"Are you going to be a Vegetarian?" I asked slyly.

"Sí. You know, Aro has not forced his coven to convert, but he is delighted when his servants follow his example."

"You will be in my prayers," I promised.

"When we are parted, I shall miss you. Write to me, cherub?" she asked, presenting her card.

"Yes," I agreed, surprised.

"Ciao, bella."

"Ciao."

An hour later, we were at the front of a line, and Edward was drawing us forward with a smile. "Angel. Come here and meet my new son. Ivo? This is Angela Chantal Weber Cheney, and her mate, Ben Deshi Fa Cheney. They've been our friends since 2004. You will consider them your aunt and uncle. These are my godsons and nephews, Ethan Emmett Huang-Fu Cheney, and Theodore Anton Ming-Hua Cheney."

"Ivo," Ben said, sticking out his hand. Ivo took it gently.

"Uncle Ben," Ivo murmured, looking shy. He looked our age, but he was almost as old as Carlisle. Vampire family structures were not logical, but I was hardly going to argue with my Big Brother. He was smart as a whip about people, thanks to his talent.

"I present my precious Baby Sister," Edward said, resting a cool hand on my shoulder to pull me forward.

"Hello, Ivo," I said, offering my hand.

"Hello, Auntie Angel," he said in a lightly-accented voice that reminded me of Mandarin. He looked at my sons curiously.

"Kiss him," Edward growled in my ear. Nodding, I bent forward to whisper in Ivo's ear. He was at least a head shorter than me.

"We're all very impressed with you," I told him, and he turned silver around the edges. I kissed him on top of his head, and gave him a pat. He seemed so young and cute. "I've never met a Trad before," I teased him. He lowered burgundy eyes flecked with marmalade lights, amused.

"Let us hope that you never meet one again," he giggled. I decided I loved him for sure.

I reached for Leah, who was looking rather watery and excited. "Oh, Leah. He's absolutely wonderful. Congratulations. I can tell God's been looking out for you." I patted her hand, while she thanked me, looking at her mate as though she had never seen him before. "I hope you're ready to be royalty."

"Oh," she scoffed. "We're not looking to lead, Ang. We're probably just going to live in Toronto, while he sculpts and I ... finish school."

"I would be surprised if that happened," I told her, looking meaningfully at Edward, who was now introducing Ivo to Carmen and Eleazar. I never saw Edward so confident. His stance was wide, and self-assured. Tanya and Eric were next in line. I wondered when they had arrived. Waggling my fingers at them, I moved on.

Ben and I mingled, eventually greeting our Denali 'cousins', and gaining introductions to people who were arriving for the wedding. Vampires were leaving the Great Room, and the lodge itself, in chattering groups, and _Kwali _were dispersing, or settling back into their previous activities. Esme was herding humans into the kitchen for a late supper.

"Can we go and eat?" Ben asked me. "I'm starving."

I turned in time to see Edward staunchly grab Leah and Ivo by the ears and drag them toward the stairs. "Ow! Leech!" Leah protested, scrabbling on the hardwood floor. I did a double take, then realized that this was exactly the way he treated his brothers or Jacob when they were naughty. He was an equal-opportunity Leader. I laughed silently, watching their stumbling progress. I saw Edward's brothers and sisters prod each other, beaming. Alice had the video camera. Big surprise.

Edward's growled words reached us clearly. "Don't talk back to me Smurfette."

Leah submitted with no further argument. "Yes, Dom Cullen," she said, lowering her eyes.

Carlisle reached Alice, and covered up her camera lens with a reproving look.

"This place is a zoo," Ben said weakly.

"Yeah. Isn't it great?" I beamed. I marched toward the kitchen with Theo and Ethan, knowing Ben would come with me. After all, he _was_ my mate.


	24. Chapter 24: Male Bonding

**Chapter 24:** **Male Bonding**

**Important: read 1****st**** 4 paragraphs of a/n.**

**Hello my dears. I've missed you so. Thanks for coming back to this story. I've written a new, M-rated story for Leah and Ivo. If you're not 18, please stick with LAF and HHMH. All three stories will update at the same time, and you won't miss any storyline if you skip 'HHMH Fade to Blacks'. Promise.**

**If you are reading all three stories, I recommend that you read 'Fade to Blacks' first, this chapter second, and 'HHMH' third.**

**It's getting close to the wedding, so if you haven't left me your fake identity, you need to **_**get it to me now.**_** Last chance to be part of this story. If you can't think of a persona, just give me a name. I think I can come up with something ;+) At the beginning of the next chapter, I'll be posting a list of minor characters alongside your FF account names. **

**I've written an AH story for The Flight for Bobby Dupea (Autism Speaks):**

**Cats and Dogs:**

**Rated M**

They had met when she was four, and he was eight, and his rambunctious Border Collie, Bear, had attempted to ingest her Calico, Wednesday Addams, for lunch. It had begun the war. He had been in love with her ever since.

**I've also written an o/t from the Unforeseen Events Series for The Fandom Against Juvenile Diabetes:**

**The Sad Story of Woof:**

**Rated M for harsh subject matter. No lemons.**

Swallowing hard, I stepped through the doorway into the kitchen. Carlisle was standing with his back to the counter, one of his experiments with cleansers on display. Esme sat in one of the kitchen chairs, pale as a ghost. And Woof was already curled up on his rug, wagging his tail and enjoying the heat from the stove.

Our guest stood at the opposite side of the room from me, leering out of eyes that looked like rotten raw beef. I was very taken aback, but lowered my eyes as my sire had ordered.

"Roman? This is my first born," Carlisle said quietly.

**Both compilations will be available at the beginning of March.**

**Music for this chapter can be found on the jmollytwilight2 Youtube at #14:**

"_**El Primer Passo**_**," by Melinda Toth**

"_**Inuit Drum Dancing,"**_** by the Kugluktuk Drum Dancers**

**Sources for this chapter:**

**Story of The Giant Dog: www dot sacred-texts dot com/nam/inu/eft/eft34**

**www dot lowchensaustralia dot com/names/eskimonames dot htm**

**Tuesday, February 27****th****, 2014, circa 7pm:**

_**Ben's pov:**_

About an hour after Edward dragged Leah and Ivo upstairs by their ears, there was a scuffle in the general area of his office. Three teenagers stormed down the main staircase and flew out the front door of the lodge. Edward had obviously put a flea in their ear. Minutes later, Esme looked angrily up the same stairs.

"Swears jar!" she yelled as Edward stomped down, swearing a blue streak. Although the room was a lot less crowded than it had been, there were still a couple of dozen people milling around. For a moment, all sound ceased. Edward's show of temper was obviously… novel.

"_Back off_, Esme! This is a Five President Situ: Roosevelt, Wilson, Taft, Carter _and_ Clinton!" Edward paced in his favourite spot, so fast he was nothing but a blur. Suddenly, he stopped dead, his black eyes burning a hole in something near the back staircase on the right of the room. I turned to see why he was dealing the death glare, and found five teens quailing under it. They hovered together, and jumped when he shouted, kind of reminding me of the Scooby Doo Gang when confronted by a 'ghost'.

"_Hey!_ You lot leave those two alone or there's gonna be Hell to pay!"

Angry Edward was pretty damn scary. The teenagers wisely slunk out the dining room's French doors with their tails between their legs.

"Bella?" Edward called loudly. "Bellaaaaaa…"

There was a rush of air, and then Bella was at his side, looking anxious. "What's wrong, Mocha-chino?"

Edward's jaw clenched, and his eyes darted upward. "Nothing. Just … He's possibly fertile."

A lot of jaws dropped, and then some of the males in the room started to snicker. Edward clutched his head, started to pace and thought better of it. He turned his glare on his son-in-law.

"Jake, I can't hang around for this. Will you protect them?"

"Sure, sure," Jacob said affably, cuddling his wife.

"We'll protect them, Daddy," Ren promised.

Edward was obviously mollified. "Don't let Sam anywhere near them," he growled, then he grabbed Bella by the hand, threw her onto his back, and disappeared out the front door like smoke. It swung to-and-fro in the arctic air, and snow drifted in and collected on the mat. Jasper zipped over at vampire speed and closed out the chill.

"Interesting times," he drawled. Sitting down, he and Alice curled up together, uncharacteristically snuggly, and watched the DVD playing on the TV. It was some new vampire-werewolf thing, and both species were intermittently scoffing and snickering over it.

Well, _I _liked it.

It got late, and Ang and I, and Camilla Sala, along with the Kwali and their mates, went to bed. The next morning, we found the Cullen men sitting in the Great Room reading their papers as usual.

"Morning, Angel, morning, Ben," Edward said, flipping pages. He was definitely more relaxed now.

"Morning, Edward," I said. What was up with the mood swing?

Edward's eyes flicked up at my wife, then returned to his paper. "Don't even ask me, Little One. I've had TMI enough for a lifetime, and I've fielded sufficient questions of an awkward nature this morning." He snapped his paper and folded it, standing up. "Tell you what, I'll tell Ben all about it, and he can fill you in later, okay? You don't mind if I steal him for a while, do you?"

"Go 'head," Ang said, shooing me away.

I was about to get the information _first_ for the first time ever! I stood up so fast I almost fell over. Edward was very amused. "Come on, Pal. It's a nice day. You ever used snowshoes?"

"No," I said, intrigued.

"You up for it?" Edward asked, repressing a smile.

"Yeah, totally," I agreed, hurrying to get my parka and boots. We stepped out into bright sun and blue sky, rare for this time of year. I glanced at Edward, whose skin was reflecting a million diamond lights onto our shadows in the snow. Guy's a walking disco ball. Freaky.

He snickered and handed me a pair of snowshoes. "I know, right? Bella likes it, though, and I have to admit sparkling suits her."

"Sorry," I breathed.

Edward fake-punched me on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, man. Comes with the territory. You think I look weird, you should see Carlisle. Sparkling white-on-rice. You know how to put those on?"

"Like skis?" I checked.

"Yeah."

"I'm surprised you don't hand-make them here," I admitted.

"Nah. Hand-made aren't strong enough. They crumble when we run. It's the one thing the _Kwali_ can do better than us. Those huge paws don't sink into the snow." Edward stood up, his stance wide, and offered me his arm, stepping off the deep step onto the next one. I let him help me down.

"Didn't think I'd be imitating a duck this morning, I said, hanging off his arm.

"You never know with Cullens," he grinned.

"Never boring, man. Never boring."

"Okay, now you have to kind of hop. Don't lock your knees, and don't let go of me, because I'm going to speed us up," Edward said.

"Cool," I nodded. We had taken about two hops away from the lodge when the door swung open behind us and Emmett stuck his head out. Edward looked at him questioningly.

"Alessandro's on Skype Vid-chat with his report."

I tried not to be disappointed.

"Can you handle it, please Em? I haven't spent any time with my Pal the whole time they've been here."

I looked at my friend, feeling happy. There had been distance between us ever since we left high school, and apparently now that there were no more secrets, we were BF's again.

"Yeah, I'll handle it, Great Leader."

"Nanoo nanoo," Edward said with funny hand-gestures, making Emmett snort. Edward grabbed my arm and tugged on it. "_Ràng líkāi zhèlǐ zhīqián, rènhé rén zhuā zhù wǒ_ (Let's get out of here before anybody else grabs me)." My friend lapsed easily into Chinese, just like old times. "I love these people, but it's getting to be time to go off with Bella to the Colony for a while, you know?"

Edward held out his elbow and I took it. It wasn't weird, right? We were going to be moving super-fast.

Snowshoeing with a vampire was unbeatably fun. I have no idea how far we traveled that morning, just that we ended up at a really pretty little lake, with steely ripples and sun glinting off it. Edward reached into one of his ever-present capacious pockets and pulled out a Thermos and a spoon, and handed them to me. Thanking him, I looked at them, wondering where I was supposed to sit, and then there was an enormous _crack_. I tried to swivel around without falling over, and discovered Edward breaking a huge old tree trunk into pieces with his hands. Before my eyes, he assembled two chairs. Taking one, he sat and stuffed his hands in his pockets, gazing out at the cold water.

"Wild times," he murmured, eyes inscrutable.

"But never dull," I smiled.

"Not since Bella came along."

The things he must have seen in a hundred years…

"You can ask me; it's okay."

"What's it like being immortal?"

Edward shrugged. "It has its thrilling moments. Life's blissful with a mate, I'll tell you that. I appreciate never being sick, and rarely in pain. I'm hoping for a lot more years with Bella. Thousands of years, perhaps, if the Earth doesn't wear out or God doesn't Rapture us up. Assuming He doesn't, and I trot off the mortal coil earlier than that, when I die, I'll be ready to meet Him, and see my parents again. It's likely to be quick, not long and drawn out like the deaths of so many people. And I have purpose now. Sometimes the work is tiring, but I'm always busy. I thank God every day for that. Life used to be so tedious."

I was silent. I didn't expect such a thorough answer, but then, he overthinks everything. He always has.

"Yes, it might sound morbid to you, but it isn't, really. I treasure every day with Bella, but I also have the long view, Ben. I've experienced loss. I've longed for departed loved ones, and a perfect world, as much as the next man. You may reunite with your loved ones and get the solutions to the eternal mysteries long before I do. That's… not so bad."

"No," I agreed. "Mortality has its perks."

"Death is your friend," he said, picking at a loose thread on the knee of his jeans. "Just do me a favour and stick around for a while yet, Pal. You have no idea how good it is to have you around. It makes it easier… to let go."

"Let go?" I asked him.

"Every few years, we've had to leave everyone behind. We never used to let humans in on our secret world. It's only since we allied ourselves with the Volturi that we've been allowed to pick the occasional human companions." He hummed a laugh. "Aro still says you're our pets."

"Hah."

"How is Charlie, really?" Edward asked.

"He's still going strong. Nice for him to have a couple of the _Kwali _on the force. What is he now, fifty?"

"Fifty-two," Edward murmured. "How's Mr Weber?"

I picture Ang's father, and Edward chuckles.

"He looks just the same, but more silver. And the twins?"

"Tearing up U-Dub," I laughed.

"Twenty-one years old. I can hardly believe…"

"I know," I said, rolling my eyes in a manner worthy of my friend. "I'm twenty-eight now. Soon, people are going to think I'm _your_ uncle."

"That's nothing new," he said, winking.

"So what's the deal with our new cousin, Ivo?"

Edward snorted. "He's unbelievable."

"Give."

"People called me a prude, yeah?"

I snorted. "Right. Not! Everyone thought you were banging Bella under the bleachers."

"I got so sick of Newton and his gossiping girlfriend. Holy crow, and now we're related to Yorkie."

"Ivo?"

The vampire chuckled, looking delighted. "He's never ejaculated. Like, not once."

"Huh?" I squeaked, my eyebrows disappearing into my hair.

Edward cracked up. "You heard me. Not once. Hopefully the goods are perfectly preserved.''

"You wouldn't lie to me, right?"

He snorted. "Nope. No spanking, no emissions, nada."

"No way," I guffaw like a high school kid in the locker room.

"Hah. Yeah. Funny, huh?"

"Bwah hah hah!"

"Poor dawg's two hundred and seventy-odd years old, and he's lived two hundred and forty of them as a vampire, and never once has he seen the white light."

"He's living with Leah?" I asked blankly. _She's wanted a husband forever._

Edward's eyes twinkled. "Yep. Like I said, incomprehensible."

"Wow."

Edward sighed and shook his head. "We ought to be getting back, Ben."

"Thanks for …" _being my best friend again._

"Yeah. Back atcha. Let's go home."

"Okay," I said.

By the time we got back to the Lodge, it was 3pm and my legs were killing me. I wondered if I could get somebody to watch the kids so I could take my wife upstairs for a nap.

"Yeah, we'll make sure they're looked after, Pal." Edward and I exchanged one of those man-hugs, and went inside, banging off our boots on the mat and hanging up our stuff in the coat room.

"Great Leader," Jasper drawled as we came in.

"He asleep yet?" Edward asked.

Huh?

"You know it."

"Hee hee hee hee hee hee," Edward laughed, looking every bit the seventeen-year-old brat. "So where's Fluff?"

"Upstairs sleeping with him," Carlisle said, walking in with one of my kids wrapped around each ankle.

"Daddy!" they said in tandem, toddling over to kiss me.

"Hiya guys," I said, giving them hugs and lifting them onto my lap. "Where's Mommy?"

"Dunno," they both said, picking at each other's moccasin beads.

"I think she went with all the females into town," Jasper supplied.

"You mean, it's just us _men_?" Carlisle asked in mock-horror.

"Yessir, place'll be burnt to the ground by supper time," Jasper said smoothly.

"Who's cooking dinner for the humans tonight?" Edward frowned.

"Em."

Edward's jaw fell. "You've got to be joshing me."

"Dona Bella said you'd be right in the next room, so it was a safe time to let him," Jasper drawled.

"Jeez Louise. What time is Ivo waking up, did Titch say?" Edward asked, walking back to peer in the kitchen.

" 'Round about half-seven," Carlisle supplied. "He only started his Nap at about half-one."

"Not bad," Edward said, pursing his lips.

Camilla Sala came out of the kitchen.

"Hello, Ms Sala," Edward said. "Aren't you spending the day with the girls?"

"No, shopping holds no interest for me unless it is for my events," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "I had thought to spend time getting to know the bride, but it seems she is occupied with her mate."

"Yes, they've had an… eventful week," Edward said, biting back a grin.

"I thought perhaps I could be of service, by helping Dom Emmett make dinner," she said, smoothing her pencil skirt.

"That would be lovely," Edward beamed. "Thank you. I feel a lot better about allowing him in the kitchen now."

Emmett came out of the kitchen, covered in flour. "You have no faith in me."

"Em, you've set three kitchen fires in nine years," Edward grinned.

"Only because I forgot to set the timer, Bro," Emmett protested.

Edward took Camilla's hand and bent it over his own. "My dear lady, will you kindly do our family an enormous favour, and make sure Vice-Dom Emmett pays attention to all his cooking timers?"

"But of course."

Edward kissed her hand and patted it. _"Mille Grazie."_

The formidable lady actually giggled a little. Apparently no female was immune to his charm.

"It won't be long until Ivo comes down," Edward said, looking around at us all. "Would one of you please lend Ivo some clothes for when he wakes up? Something easy to dress him in?"

"What, are you scared he's gonna wander out here BF naked, Edward?" Quil scoffed.

"I tried to walk into the kitchen naked, in front of Kaure and Gustavo, on my honeymoon," he answered.

"No way!" Emmett boomed, and laughed like a bear.

"Yuk it up, Em." Edward looked at Embry. "Can you lend Ivo some clothes, Embry? You're about the same size."

"Yeah, sure. I'll go up and get some."

"Thank you," Edward said.

The males who were not on cleaning detail, cooking detail or nursery duty spent the afternoon in front of the big screen TV, watching hockey: Leafs versus the Senators. Of course, being supernatural creatures, they couldn't just watch the game and scoff or clap at it like normal people. Everybody present had a jersey with their team's colours. Edward had even loaned me one of his: blue and white for the Maple Leafs. Not that I don't like hockey, I'll watch any sport, but I'd sooner do it with humans.

The coven's human pets and the _Kwali_ had buckets of popcorn and soda, and the vampires had noisemakers and props, including big foam hands, plastic clappers, inflatable tubes meant to be bonked together, bean bags to thow at each other, and ridiculous hats.

Everything was well and good until it got down to the last two minutes of the last period, and the teams were tied.

One of the more aggressive Leafs high sticked his opponent, who then knocked off his helmet and beat the snot out of him while the Refs stood around waiting for them to quit. The vampires and Kwali Warriors were extremely offended by the poor sportsmanship of both players, and it almost turned into a fistfight in the Great Room between Garrett and Jared.

Edward told them he expected them to behave better than the people on TV.

When the Senator was satisfied with the amount of Maple Leaf blood he had spilled on the ice, he stepped back and let the Refs chew his ear off. The people surrounding me hung on every silent word. Finally, the Senator was given a three minute time out, and the Leaf was given a two minute time out.

None of the men around me were happy, rather they blamed the player of the team opposing their own for the unfair treatment of the other.

When the Leafs scored a goal in the final ten seconds of the game, there was pandemonium in the Lodge. Some happy noise, some unhappy, all extreme. Carlisle fist-bumped me almost hard enough to break my hand, and Emmett nearly knocked me over with his slap to my back. I prayed I'd never to have to watch hockey with the Cullens again.

A little ghost in white pajamas with blue and pink bunnies drifted into the room, looking exhausted. "Leech."

Edward stopped mid-Maple Leaf- victory-chant and turned in slow motion to face Leah. "Um, sorry?" he winced.

"Urgh," she said, flopping down on the couch beside him. "Who won?"

"Leafs, of course," Edward grinned, white teeth glinting. It made him look dangerous.

"Leafs haven't won a game in a dog's age," Jasper pouted.

"Go team," Leah said flatly. She rested her head on Edward's shoulder.

"I thought you rooted for my team, General Beeyotch," Jasper said indignantly, giving Leah the stink-eye.

"Who wants to support a team named after politicians?" Edward scoffed. Half a dozen people started to protest that the Senators were a good team, and half a dozen more started to protest that they played dirty. Leah told everyone to shut up.

"You're giving me a headache!" she groused.

"Did you get some sleep?" Edward asked, looking concerned. Leah's answering smile was bratty.

"Not much. At least, not until Ivo fell asleep."

There was a lot of good-natured razzing after that.

When Leah started to look like she was developing a migraine, Edward told everybody to give her some space. Everybody but Jacob, Embry, Quil and the Cullens took off. Edward gave Leah a pressure-point scalp massage while she asked endless questions about vampires napping. It was odd to think that I had witnessed Naps, and she had never seen a vampire sleepwalk.

"You know Ivo's never napped before. I'm a little worried about his upcoming Walk, actually. He hasn't known Leah very long, and I have no idea what he's going to play out while he thinks he's human."

"He has a grudge against Hudson's Bay, and Catholic Missionaries," Leah admitted, looking wiped out.

"Mm. Good to know. We'll have some _Kwali_ in here when he comes down."

"I wish we had his drum," Leah murmured.

"We could make one this afternoon," Quil offered.

"Thanks," Leah said, shutting her eyes.

The Kwali left, taking Garrett with him.

"Toss me a cushion, please, Em," Edward said.

"Sure. Here."

Edward put the cushion on his lap and eased Leah's head down onto it. She was sound asleep.

"Can I take a picture of that?" Seth asked, coming in with a grin.

"Let her be, Seth, she's exhausted," Edward said softly.

Sam jogged down the stairs and stopped dead at the sight of Jacob draping a throw blanket over Leah. "Why's she exhausted?"

Edward appraised Sam and apparently he considered his attitude acceptable, because he smiled briefly. "She's okay, Sam. They're happy. It's just the letdown after stress."

"Shouldn't she be upstairs?" Jasper asked pointedly.

"No, I'm afraid she might disturb him and wake him early. After he's had his confession and Walk, they can sleep it off together."

"You're still sure about this, Edward?" Sam asked warily.

"Yes," Edward said. "This guy's first class. They're going to be fine, Sam."

Sam nodded, swallowing hard. "Edward, I'm sorry."

"I know, Sam. I know. I haven't forgotten the friendship you've shown to me. But if you want peace, you're going to have to say it to them."

"I'll tell her I'm sorry for interfering," the _Kwali _said sadly.

"Sam, there's something else for which I think you ought to apologize," Edward said gently. The _Kwali_ waited quietly to hear him out.

"You kept her in your Pack, Sam, after you imprinted. Why didn't you use your Voice to cast her out?"

"She would have been all alone!" he argued gently.

Edward bit his lips, and ghosted his fingers over Leah's hair. "That would have been better."

Sam's jaw fell, and his face filled with grief.

"It's time for our Leah to be happy," Edward said. "And you need to talk to Emily."

Sam nodded, and got up. He left the room slowly, as though he were a hundred years old instead of thirty-seven.

Edward sat with Leah all afternoon while the rest of us busied ourselves with domestic duties. Carlisle, Jasper and I looked after the kids, and Emmett made some pretty tasty brownies. Edward said he would be allowed in the kitchen in the future, based on the fact he had not turned them into a 'char-broiled abomination'. I suspected that was an inside joke, because Jasper giggled like a madman and Emmett turned silver all over.

Edward woke Leah just before all the females trooped in with bags and parcels. Emmett and Camilla delivered a tasty vegetable linguine for our dinner, and Bella told him he was no longer banned from the kitchen so long as he agreed to always cook when supervised. After dinner, Sam took Emily upstairs, leaving their kids with Esme and Rose. Then, Edward explained to everyone that Ivo would soon have his Walk, and that it would be a good idea if most of the vampires absented themselves, and some of the _Quileute _and other humans were present.

"You're going to stick around, Edward?" Emmett asked fretfully.

"I have to know how it goes," Edward shrugged.

"I think I had best be present, Brother," Jasper said.

"Agreed, but you can be present on the third floor walkway."

"Edward, if I run the camera, Ivo's going to get upset with me, but if Esme films him he's going to assume she's your sister and it will be fine."

"I'm staying," Carlisle said firmly.

"Yes, Sir." Edward nodded. He left the room and returned with some buckskin jackets, with fringes down the arms, handing one to Jasper, one to Carlisle, and one to me. All four of us put them on.

At 7:30pm, Ivo came slowly down the stairs, wearing a fawn-coloured jogging outfit and moccasins. Leah followed him, her forehead creased with worry. "He's not speaking English," she told Edward. "I think it's Inuktituk."

"I thought as much."

Bella, Rose, Alice, Jasper and Emmett crept to the third floor railing to join some of the watching vampires. From her place at the foot of the stairs, Esme surreptitiously turned on the video camera.

Ivo entered the room cautiously, and stopped in front of Edward. _"Voyageur?"_

"_Non. Indigenne."_

"_Huron?"_

"_Non. Metis."_

Ivo's brow creased. _"Parlez-vous francais?"_

"_Oui."_

He squared his shoulders. "_J'ai cinquante peaux de castor. Voulez-vous échanger ?"_

"_Oui."_

"_Que ferez-vous me donner pour eux?"_

"_Un peau de mouton, laine cardée et des aiguilles à coudre."_

" _Pas assez. Je dois garder ma famille forte pour l'hiver."_

"_Voulez-vous des bottes?"_

"_Non, vos bottes sont mauvais."_

_Voulez-vous un couteau?"_

" _Oui, je vais prendre ça, avec les premières choses que vous avez proposé. Je voudrais une couverture, aussi."_

"_Eh, bien."_

"_Merci."_

"_De rien." _

Ivo turned his back happily on Edward and scanned the room. He saw the fireplace and went to sit in front of it, on the floor.

"What was all that?" Leah asked curiously.

"First, he asked me if I was a Voyageur. Then, he said he had fifty beaver pelts and asked if I wanted to trade. I offered him a sheepskin, carded wool and sewing needles. He said it wasn't enough because he had a family to get through the winter, and he had to keep them strong. I asked him if he wanted boots, and he told me pretty firmly that my kind of boots were bad. I asked him if he wanted a knife, and he told me that he wanted the knife, the sheepskin, the wool and the needles, and a Hudson's Bay blanket."

"Our boy drives a hard bargain," Jasper said appreciatively. "Back in my day, he'd-a been offered some beads and firewater."

"He had a family," Edward murmured, watching Ivo in fascination. Some of the Quileute were padding over to sit with him. Ivo got a look at Claire and his face lit up. He said something to her in an unknown language with a lot of clicks and stops in it.

"He thinks Claire is his daughter. Iyaroa(k)," Edward told Leah gently. "Ask him what his name is, Leah."

"I don't speak Inuktituk," she said, wincing.

"Part of him will still process your speech even if he can't process mine. You're his mate."

Leah approached Ivo tentatively. "What is your name?"

"Aglakti."

"Where are you from?" she wondered.

He looked confused. "I don't know."

"What are the names of your children?"

"I don't know," he said, looking panicky.

"Buniq?" Leah suggested.

"Iyaroak, Buniq and Chulyin," he said, smiling.

"How old are they?" she asked.

He frowned. "My elder daughter, Iyaroak is twenty-four seasons old. The younger, Buniq, is almost twelve seasons. My son Chulyin is in his third season."

"What are the seasons?" Leah asked.

"Caribou, Seal and Whale," he said immediately.

"Three seasons a year. So Iyaroak was eight, Buniq was nearly four, and Chulyin was nearly one," Leah mused. "Who is your wife?"

"Akluitok," he said, his mouth curling in distaste.

Edward snorted. "Not a happy marriage."

"Really?" Leah said.

"He wooed her because she was quite beautiful, but she was very spoiled. He thinks that she's high maintenance. It seems that's what her name meant. When he said it, he thought 'very expensive'. Hah."

Ivo said something else in Inuktituk.

"He's thinking about singing in front of the children. I think he wants to tell them a story," Edward said. A lot of people looked excited. Several of them brought their children to sit closer to Ivo, who stood up. Quil stepped forward with a large flat drum and a stick shaped rather like a knobby-ended bone, and offered it to Ivo, who took it with delight and what could be presumed to be thanks.

Ivo took the drum, and started to turn and beat it. The timpani-like sound rang in the air and echoed from the rafters. Ivo began to sing, and all of a sudden there were pictures in our heads. There was a collective intake of breath.

_A giant husky swims with a Narwhal. They finish playing together. It comes out of the sea and runs up to a man and woman, who climb up on its back and ride it. The man gives the dog an amulet that protects it from death, and it lives many seasons. One day a stranger comes to their land, and the dog kills him. The man and his wife sadly move away, for the people of the tribe are angry. Another stranger comes, and the man sends his dog up into the hills to eat a bone, but the dog comes down and destroys not only that stranger, but two more. The man realizes the victims are inland-dwellers, who often steal the daughters of the People. His dog is a great protector of the People, who rejoice to have him. Sometimes the dog goes away for days at a time, and returns bearing the bones of evil people. And the inland-dwellers become too frightened to bother the People any more._

Almost an hour after he began, Ivo stopped singing and sat down, panting as though he was out of breath, and the thrilling images disappeared.

The crowd collectively breathed a 'wow', except for some of the youngest children, who were crying. I guess adults told kids scarier stories back in Ivo's day. Maybe they didn't consider those stories scary.

"No wonder he loves you, Leah," Seth said, shaking his head.


End file.
